Collegium Helveticum
Switzerland
fellow
Louis-Philippe Dalembert
2024-2025
Discipline(s)
Colonial and postcolonial history; Literature
Theme(s)
Cultural Studies; Post-colonialism
Fellowship dates
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Biography
Louis-Philippe Dalembert is a Haitian writer and poet known for his works that explore themes of identity, exile, and cultural heritage, often featuring strong female characters. Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 1962, Louis-Philippe's writing is influenced by his Haitian roots and his experiences living in various countries, including France, Italy, the USA, Germany, and Israel.
Notable works include Le crayon du bon Dieu n'a pas de gomme/God's Pencil Has No Eraser (1996), Les dieux voyagent la nuit/Gods Travel at Night (2006), Mur Méditerranée/Mediterranean Wall (2019), and Milwaukee Blues (2021), the latter shortlisted for several literary awards. Louis-Philippe's writing is known for its lyrical prose, vivid storytelling, and socio-cultural commentary. He was awarded the Goncourt Prize for poetry in 2024.
Louis-Philippe has also taught literature and creative writing at various universities. His contributions to literature have earned him numerous accolades and a significant place in contemporary Francophone literature
Research Project
Literature, History, and Society Talks
Hosted by the Haitian writer Louis-Philippe Dalembert, the Literature, History, and Society Talks co-organized by the Collegium Helveticum and the Visiting Professorship of French Literature and Culture at ETH Zurich, bring together a diverse array of journalists, sociologists, and authors to engage in stimulating dialogues that explore the intricate interplay between the ways we write and re-write our world through literature.
Historical topics, such as colonialism, slavery, World War II, become vivid and accessible to a broad audience via the mediation of historical novels. The narration of different identities, stories of oppression, extinction, or violence allow us to explore worlds that we would have no access to without literature, and to raise awareness and understanding for perspectives that are not ours. In the light of current cultural and intellectual movements, such as post-colonialism, and LGBTQ+, the challenge of telling these stories bears a unique potential and an enormous responsibility. How can authors and journalists reconcile the various expectations brought to Literature?
Research Interests:
literature and society; historical fiction; cultural history; colonialism; slavery; World War II; postcolonialism; LGBTQ+ studies; identity; oppression; narrative and memory; journalism; sociology; French literature; Haitian literature.