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[Francophonie and Literature] Get to know Louise Kennedy, selected for the 2024 Ambassadorial prize ! [fr]

Created in 2016 by the 28 embassies of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (IOF) represented in Ireland, the Prix Littéraire des Ambassadeurs de la Francophonie en Irlande - Ireland Francophonie Ambassadors’ Literary Award aims to highlight the role of literary French in transmitting the values of La Francophonie.

This prize is awarded to an Irish writer recently translated into French, in partnership with Literature Ireland, the national organisation for the international promotion of Irish literature, and the Alliance Française de Dublin. This year, 4 Irish writers were nominated. The jury will render its verdict during an official ceremony to take place in March 2024 during the Month of La Francophonie in Ireland.
The prize will seek to reflect the key values of cultural and linguistic diversity, democracy and human rights, education and research, sustainable development and solidarity defended by the Francophonie.

Nominated for her novel Trespasses, learn a bit about Louise Kennedy and her translator Cécile Leclère !

Louise Kennedy

JPEGLouise Kennedy grew up in Hollywood County Down, and currently lives in Sligo. After a thirty-year career as a chef, she makes a late but acclaimed literary debut with her collection of stories The End of the World Is a Cul de Sac (2021), and diverse productions for The Guardian, The Irish Times, et BBC Radio 4.

Trespasses (2022) is her first fictional novel that immerse the reader at the heart of the Troubles in a town occupied by British soldiers near Belfast. Cushla Lavery, a young catholic schoolteacher meets Michel Andrew, a protestant attorney twice her age who works to advance Catholic’s civil rights. The couple engage in a romance, forbidden by their difference of religion and social class and Michel’s marriage. Trespasses describes violence as a part of their everyday life and love. This drama that the Washington Post qualified as “beautiful and devastating in equal measure” was shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2022 and the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2023.

More info :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhgIIbeb3LA

Cécile Leclère

JPEGCécile Leclère majored in the DSS literary translation from Paris 7. Established in Jakarta, Indonesia, she independently translates various texts and audiovisual documentaires from English into French. These include Assaut contre le Capitole, rapport de la commission d’enquête/ report from the House Jan. 6 committee (2023), Le Grand livre du climat/ The Climate Book supervised by Greta Thunberg (2022),and Gossip Girl, by Cecily von Ziegesar (2004, 2006). Member of the Association des Traducteurs Littéraires de France (ATLF), she takes part in the Assises de la Traduction Littéraire.

More info :
https://cecileleclere.wixsite.com/traductrice

Last modification: 08/02/2024

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