June 1, 2013 – Victoria — Drawing on the work of Argentinean writer/scholar, Jorge Luis Borges, Laferrière was guided and inspired by his work for decades. Like Borges, he defines himself as a reader who writes and shares the same passion for reading.
Reading was so central to Borges’ life that everything important that happened to him was reflected in his books-his blindness did not stop him from managing the Buenos Aires library even though he sorrowfully noted the irony in his situation. In addressing the links between reading, writing, fiction and life, Laferrière reflects on a period is his own history and writing sensibility.
Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Dany Laferrière left his birth country in 1976 and settled in Quebec where his first novel, Comment faire l’amour avec un nègre sans se fatiguer (How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired), was published in 1985 to immediate success and acclaim.
In 2006 he received the Governor General's Award for his illustrated children's book, Je suis fou de Vava. His most recent book (L'Énigme du retour) met with resounding success, winning the Prix Médicis and the Grand Prix du livre de Montréal in 2009, as well as the Blue Metropolis International Literary Grand Prix and the Prix des libraires in 2010.
What? Dany Laferrière’s “Big Thinking” lecture
“J’écris comme je vis” -- 2013 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Where? Phillip T. Young Theatre (B125), MacLaurin Building, University of Victoria
When? June 2, 2013, 7:45 - 8:55 a.m.
The Big Thinking lecture series is presented by the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences and the University of Victoria. Supporting sponsors are the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
For more information, please contact:
Laura Markle
613-282-3489
Mélanie Béchard
613-894-7635
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About the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences
Organized by the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Congress is the largest interdisciplinary conference in Canada. Described as a “conference of conferences,” Congress involves nearly 70 academic associations that represent a rich spectrum of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, including literature, history, theatre, film studies, education, music, sociology, geography, social work and many others.