During the month of March, the Alliance Française is hosting a range of different events, designed to showcase French-speaking countries and cultures, and the diversity of the French language. Two of these feature Randell Cottage resident, Julien Blanc-Gras.
On a perfect Wellington evening, Friends and Trustees of the Randell Cottage Writers Trust, along with French Embassy representatives, gathered at the home of Pip and Simon Murdoch to meet Julien Blanc-Gras and his wife Aurore.
The 2024 French laureate has just taken up residence in Randell Cottage. Julien Blanc-Gras and his son were welcomed at Wellington Airport by representatives of the Randell Cottage Writers Trust and the Embassy of France.
After a whirlwind two-month stay, Caroline Laurent is on her way back to France via Tahiti, which will be one of the settings of the novel she has been working on during her residency. Caroline was enthusiastic about the writing she has already completed and the lasting friendships she has developed in New Zealand. Trustees Jean Anderson and Christine Hurley farewelled Caroline from Randell Cottage and look forward to news of her safe return home.
Julien Blanc-Gras now joins the prestigious tradition of writers in residence at Randell Cottage, where he will reside in Wellington from January to May 2024.
Julien Blanc-Gras is a writer, traveller, journalist, and father, and has explored the four corners of the world, drawing inspiration from his journeys for many of his works.
His debut book, Gringoland, was awarded at the First Novel Festival in Chambéry in 2005. Among his other works are Paradise (before Liquidation) and A Bit of a Special Envoy, written during the lockdown to counter the prevailing atmosphere.
He has also contributed extensively to the print media, with publications in renowned outlets such as M le magazine du Monde, L’Obs, Philosophie magazine, Le Temps, Le 1, Long cours, Aller-Retour, GQ, Technikart, and Grazia. He is also a presence on Radio France with the podcast Oli and a travel column on France Inter, as well as on Radio Nova with a literary column.
Following the birth of his son and his account of his experiences during his partner’s pregnancy in In Utero, he was entrusted with a column in Parents magazine. In his novel Like in War, he continues to explore the theme of fatherhood in our modern world.
Further reading
Watch an interview with Julien Blanc-Gras
The French Embassy, in partnership with the Randell Cottage Writers Trust, invites applications for next year’s residency in Randell Cottage, due to run from January to May 2024.
Two of our French residents Sedef Ecer and Caroline Laurent were interviewed by the French Embassy in New Zealand about their time at the cottage and in Wellington.
We hope to see you at the Friends’ event featuring French writer Sedef Ecer on Tuesday 7 March, but if you can’t be there in person, you can watch online. Find out how.
Born in Istanbul, Sedef Ecer grew up in the world of movie-making, theatre and television. Her latest book, Trésor national, was published by JC Lattès in 2021. She writes in different genres and in two languages: she has written more than 500 articles or opinion pieces for the press, novels, screenplays, explored new genres and translated Montaigne, Charlotte Delbo and Saint-Exupery’s works into Turkish.
As a writer and actress, Sedef Ecer has been a nominee or a recipient of prestigious awards. (French National Center of Theater, French National Center of Cinema, Beaumarchais Award, French Society of Multimedia Writers, Draft of a Dream, Velasquez Price, Writing Stipend of Paris Region, National Theater Award of Guérande, High School Students Favorite Play, nominated for Godot Award, Collidram Award, Best Television Comedy La Rochelle Festival) She is one of the founders of Parlement des Écrivaines Francophones.
Her major work is in the field of theatre. Her plays have been performed in numerous theatres and festivals in different countries, published, awarded and translated into Polish, Turkish, Armenian, German, Greek, English, Persian and Italian. As an actress, she has played in feature films and several plays since she was three years old and has worked recently under the directions of Amos Gitaï (with Jeanne Moreau), Lorenzo Gabriel and Thomas Bellorini.
During her stay in Wellington, she hopes to explore an exciting subject: a novel that will focus on the role of New Zealand and Turkish women and the fighting at Gallipoli – her parents live close to the site, and the project is something she has had in mind for some years.
Stuff, 05/03/2023: Turkish-born novelist in NZ to research women and Gallipoli
Further reading