On Monday March 10, 2008 the University of Arizona had the pleasure of welcoming Bernard Magnier for a conference entitled “Ecrire en français, venir d’ailleurs” (Writing in French, Originating Elsewhere). Magnier is a journalist and a director of a French publishing company that focuses on African Literature. He is a well renowned specialist on the subject of African Literature, and presented a fascinating look into the realities of literary greats coming from all corners of the globe, and using the French language as the form of expression. He made reference to Eugene Ionesco, Samuel Beckett, Assia Djebar, and Albert Camus to name a few. He discussed the emergence of African Literature with an emphasis on the texts themselves. The importance is not the fact that they are African, but rather that there are great works from Africa which are brilliantly and beautifully written. He is an advocate for the advancement of the publications of these works and the recognition they merit.

The conference was very interesting, provocative and inspiring, leaving us with a list of authors to discover. It was well attended by members of the Alliance Française, the French Departmenst, students, as well as the general public.

Sarah McMahon