Anne Cheynet (born 1938) is a French author in

Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...

. Her 1977 work ' is considered a significant contribution to

Réunionnais literature Réunionnais literature is the literature of persons linked to the island of Réunion, a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. It is written in French and in Réunionnais creole as well as other languages. History The ...

, as the first novel to be formally labeled as "Réunionnais."

Biography

Cheynet was born in Saint-Denis,

, in 1938, and spent her childhood in the city's Saint-François neighborhood. She traveled to

Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Ais de Provença in classical norm, or in Mistralian norm, ; la, Aquae Sextiae), or simply Aix ( medieval Occitan: ''Aics''), is a city and commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. ...

to study in 1956, remaining abroad until 1963. Back on the island, she worked as a secondary school teacher before getting involved in politics. She later returned to the classroom as a preschool teacher. She published her first book, the poetry collection ''Matanans et Langoutis'', in 1972, followed by her best-known work, the novel ''Les Muselés'', which is considered the first work billed as a "Réunionnais novel." The novel, which has an activist slant, focuses on the lives of the poor in Réunion. Cheynet, who was from a poor white family, drew on her experiences of discrimination during the island's colonial era. Cheynet has since published several other books, including the poetry collection ''Ter tout' kouler'' and the short story collection ''Rivages maouls''. In 2022, she released a bilingual story collection illustrated by Claire Ruiz, ''La clé dans zot poche: Histoires semées depuis le Grand Sentier''. Between 2001 and 2004, Cheynet produced three CDs of

oral storytelling Oral storytelling is an ancient and intimate tradition between the storyteller and their audience. The storyteller and the listeners are physically close, often seated together in a circular fashion. The intimacy and connection is deepened by t ...

. She writes in both

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

and Creole.

Selected works

* ''Matanans et Langoutis'' (poetry), 1972 * ''Les Muselés'' (novel), L'Harmattan, 1977 * ''Ter tout' kouler : Poème pour la terre multicolore'' (poetry), vol. 1, Ravine des Sables, ADMV, 1992 * ''Rivages maouls : histoires d'Annabelle'' (autobiographical), vol. 1, Océan, 1994 * ''La clé dans zot poche: Histoires semées depuis le Grand Sentier'' (stories), Éditions Poisson Rouge, 2022

References

External links

Interview with Anne Cheynet
(in French) {{DEFAULTSORT:Cheynet, Anne 1938 births Living people Writers from Réunion 20th-century French writers 20th-century French women writers Réunionese women writers