Khal Torabully is a Mauritian poet. Born in

Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...

in 1956, in the capital city

Port Louis Port Louis (, ; or , ) is the capital and most populous city of Mauritius, mainly located in the Port Louis District, with a small western part in the Black River District. Port Louis is the country's financial and political centre. It is admi ...

, his father was a

Trinidadian Trinidadians and Tobagonians, colloquially known as Trinis or Trinbagonians, are the people who are identified with the country of Trinidad and Tobago. The population of Trinidad is notably diverse, with approximately 35% Indo-Trinidadian, 34% ...

sailor and his mother was a descendant of migrants from India and Malaya.

Work

Khal Torabully left for

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

in 1976, to study at the University of Lyon II. After studies in

comparative literature Comparative literature studies is an academic field dealing with the study of literature and cultural expression across language, linguistic, national, geographic, and discipline, disciplinary boundaries. Comparative literature "performs a role ...

, Torabully wrote a PhD thesis in

semiology Semiotics ( ) is the systematic study of sign processes and the communication of meaning. In semiotics, a sign is defined as anything that communicates intentional and unintentional meaning or feelings to the sign's interpreter. Semiosis is a ...

of p oetics with Michel Cusin. Khal Torabully has won several literary awards, among which ettres-Frontière(Switzerland), rix du Salon du Livre Insulaire(France) and rix Missives(France).

Films

* Pic Pic, Nomade d’une île, 1996. * La traboule des vagues, multibroadcast Tele Lyon Metropole. * Malcolm de Chazal, (52'), portrait of an artist, with France Telecom. * Portraits de Mémoire en Gironde, France, 2010. * The Maritime Memory of the Arabs, Oman TV, Chamarel Films, France 2001.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Torabully, Khal 1956 births Living people 20th-century Mauritian writers 20th-century French poets People from Port Louis District Mauritian people of Indian descent Mauritian people of Trinidad and Tobago descent Mauritian people of Malaysian descent French male poets French people of Indian descent French people of Trinidad and Tobago descent French people of Malaysian descent 21st-century Mauritian writers 21st-century French poets University of Lyon alumni