Le Débarquement de Provence, 15 août 1944 // The Provence Landing, 15 August 1944

Aujourd'hui, chers amis, ayons une pensée profondément admirative et reconnaissante pour les hommes courageux qui débarquèrent en Provence à partir du 15 août 1944, lors du second "Overlord" (appelé aussi opération Anvil puis Dragoon).  // Today, my friends, let's have a deeply appreciative and grateful thought for the brave men who landed in Provence from August 15, 1944, in the second "Overlord" (also called Operation Anvil then Dragoon).

Ce débarquement, si important lui aussi, est appelé le débarquement oublié car il disparaît souvent dans les mémoires derrière le premier "Overlord", le débarquement de Normandie.  // This landing that is so important too, is called the Forgotten landing because it often gets lost in memories behind the first "Overlord," the Normandy Landing. 

Mon grand-oncle Henri Cotteret en a fait partie, au sein d'une grande majorité de combattants des Forces Francaises Libres (FFL) venus d'Afrique du Nord et d'Afrique Noire, et se battant aux côtés de soldats américains. // My great-uncle Henri Cotteret took part in it, surrounded by a vast majority of Free French Forces (FFL) fighters from North Africa and Africa, and fighting side by side with American soldiers.

Mon grand-oncle, Henri Cotteret -- Compagnon de la Libération 

À l'approche des Alliés, les Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur (les résistants français) se soulèvent ouvertement contre les Allemands. Les combats sont féroces et sanglants. Pris entre les FFL et les FFI, l'ennemi capitulera. N'oublions jamais ces hommes extraordinaires. // With the approach of the Allies, the French Forces of the Interior (the French resistance, FFI) rise openly against the Germans. The fighting is fierce and bloody. Caught between the FFL and FFI, the enemy capitulates.

Les Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur (FFI)  

Combat de rue lors de la libération de Marseille // Street fight during the liberation of Marseille

MERCI à eux, nous leur devons notre liberté. En souvenir d'eux et de leurs sacrifices, utilisons notre si précieuse liberté à bon escient pour essayer de faire le bien autour de nous. :) // THANKS to them, we owe them our freedom. In remembrance of them and their sacrifices, let's use our precious freedom wisely to try to spread good around ourselves. :)

Commandos lors du Débarquement de Provence 

Libération de Marseille

Hommage à Anne Frank et à Alain Resnais // Homage to Anne Frank and to Alain Resnais

Anne Frank rêvait d'être écrivain // Anne Frank dreamt of becoming a writer

ALAIN RESNAIS

En hommage à la merveilleuse Anne Frank, qui mourut il y a soixante-neuf ans hier (le 12 mars 1945) dans l'horreur de Bergen-Belsen : son "crime", être née juive. Son Journal, par-delà ses réelles qualités littéraires, est l'un des témoignages les plus poignants de la monstruosité du nazisme. Anne rêvait de rencontrer l'âme soeur et de devenir écrivain. Les nazis lui volèrent sa vie et ses rêves. // In tribute to the wonderful Anne Frank, who died sixty-nine years ago yesterday (12 March 1945) in the horror of Bergen-Belsen: her "crime", being born Jewish. Her Journal, beyond its real literary qualities, is one of the most poignant testimonies of Nazi atrocities. Anne dreamt of meeting her soul mate and of becoming a writer. The Nazis stole her life and her dreams.

Anne, une jeune fille comme les autres, assassinée par les fléaux combinés de la haine et de l'intolérance // Anne, a young girl like any others, murdered by the combined scourges of hatred and intolerance.

En hommage aussi au grand réalisateur de cinéma, Alain Resnais, décédé il y a quelques jours, au bel âge de 91 ans, voici son film, éprouvant mais extraordinaire, sur l'holocauste, intitulé "Nuit et Brouillard" (1955). Je me souviens l'avoir vu à l'école primaire où tous les enfants de mon âge devaient le regarder afin que cette horreur ne se reproduise jamais. J'étais en larmes après l'avoir regardé et n'ai jamais oublié. // In homage also to the great French film director Alain Resnais, who died a few days ago, at the beautiful age of 91, here's his harrowing but extraordinary film about the Holocaust, entitled "Night and Fog" (1955). I remember seeing it at primary school where all the children my age were supposed to watch it so that this horror would never happen again. I was in tears after watching it and have never forgotten.

Alain Resnais était un de mes cinéastes préférés, dont les films, aussi superbes que variés, auront profondément marqué la culture française. Mais ce court documentaire en noir et blanc, un de ses premiers films, reste un puissant témoignage, un incontournable un chef d'oeuvre. // 
Alain Resnais was one of my favourite film-makers, whose films, as superb as they were varied, have profoundly influenced French culture. But this short documentary in black and white, one of his first films, remains a powerful testimony, an incontrovertible masterpiece. 

Merci à vous, Alain Resnais. Reposez en paix. // Thank you, Alain Resnais, and may you rest in peace. 

Quant à toi, Anne, nous n'oublierons jamais. // As to you, Anne, we shall never forget.

Poster for "Night and Fog"

Anne rêvait d'amour et d'écriture // Anne dreamt of love and of writing

Night and Fog

Image de "Nuit et Brouillard" // Still from "Night and Fog"
"Ni jour, ni nuit. Faim, soif, étouffement, folie"

Pour le printemps, des roses blanches... // For Spring, some white roses...

Sophie Scholl

EN FRANÇAIS (CLICK HERE FOR ENGLISH VERSION)

Chers amis,

Aujourd'hui deux choses m'ont profondément interpelée, que j'ai envie de partager ici avec vous.

La première était un article sur un blog anglais à propos de la valeureuse résistance en Allemagne lors de la montée du nazisme dans les années 30 et 40. N'oublions pas que les nazis ont fait leurs griffes sur leurs propres citoyens (bien sûr sur les Allemands d'origine juive mais aussi sur tous les autres qui ne rentraient pas dans le moule si étroit de "l'aryenisme"). Imaginons ce que ça veut dire, nous qui valorisons tant notre individualité, notre liberté d'expression et d'existence... Certains Allemands, cependant, eurent le courage de s'opposer au ras-de-marée hitlérien, et l'un des exemples les plus poignants est sans doute celui de Sophie et Hans Scholl, les jeunes étudiants qui créèrent le groupe de résistance non violente, La Rose Blanche, de juin 1942 à février 1943. Arrêtés par la Gestapo, ils furent décapités sans jugement le 22 février 1943. Les Scholl et leurs camarades de La Rose Blanche sont de vrais héros, champions de la lumière dans une période d'une innommable noirceur.

Sophie Scholl et son frère Hans du groupe de résistance, Die Weisse Rose.

La seconde chose qui m'a frappée n'est hélas pas très éloignée de la première, et je l'ai trouvée en lisant "The Times" d'aujourd'hui : 
"Quand les partis politiques traditionnels ignorent les préoccupations quotidiennes des électeurs, des groupes extrêmistes refont surface. Dans le débat sans fin à propos de l'Ouest par rapport au reste, il est facile de penser que l'Europe est inévitablement identifiée avec la démocratie libérale, mais, aujourd'hui, en Europe, il y a une augmentation alarmante des partis néo-fascistes et violemment racistes . Certains peuvent obtenir des gains électoraux importants aux élections de mai du parlement européen..." 

Ce n'est pas la première fois que j'en parle mais, hélas, la montée des mouvements néo-nazis n'est pas qu'un aspect de plus que j'explore pour l'intrigue de La Voix de l'Egrégore: elle est une inquiétante réalité dans nos pays, au sein de notre belle et libre Europe. 

Je suis très consciente d'écrire une histoire dont les racines sont profondément ancrées dans notre Histoire mais dont les branches s'étirent, avec un mélange d'enthousiasme et d'effroi, dans la vaste confusion du présent... Et mon impression dominante, qui s'impose à moi avec urgence, est la suivante : n'oublions jamais les leçons de notre passé afin d'être capables de mieux comprendre et de mieux gérer notre présent. 

En souvenir de La Rose Blanche... In Memory of The White Rose...

IN ENGLISH

Dear friends,

Today two things deeply touched me, which I want to share here with you.


The first was an article on a blog about the valiant resistance in Germany during the rise of Nazism in the 1930s and 40s. For let's not forget that the Nazis practised their loathsome methods first on their own citizens (of course on Germans of Jewish extraction but also on anyone who did not fit the very narrow mold of "Aryanism"). Imagine what that meant , what it would mean to us, so in love with our individuality, with our freedom of expression and existence as we are... Some Germans, however,  had the courage to oppose the tidal wave of Hitlerism, and one of the most poignant examples of those is probably Sophie and Hans Scholl, the young students who created the non- violent resistance group called Die Weisse Rose, The White Rose, from June 1942 to February 1943. Arrested by the Gestapo , they were beheaded without trial on February 22, 1943. Scholl and her fellow White Rose resistants are true heroes, champions of light in a period of unspeakable darkness.

Sophie and Hans Scholl of Die Weisse Rose

The second thing that struck me is unfortunately not very remote at all from the first, and I found it reading "The Times" today: 

" When mainstream political parties ignore voters’ everyday concerns, extreme groups resurface. In the endless debate about the west versus the rest, there is an easy assumption that Europe is inescapably identified with liberal democracy but, today, across Europe, there is an alarming rise of neo-fascist and violently racist parties. Some may make big gains in May’s elections to the European parliament."

It's not the first time that I speak of this but, alas, the rise of neo-Nazi movements is not one more aspect for me to explore for the plot of my book, The Voice of The Egregore, it's a disturbing reality in our countries, within our beautiful and free Europe. 

I am very aware of writing a story whose roots are deeply embedded in our History but whose branches stretch out, with a mixture of excitement and fear, into the vast confusion of the present... And my overriding impression, which fills me with a sense of urgency, is: let's never forget the lessons of our past to be able to understand and manage our present better.

Sophie Scholl

Des liens profonds qui relient notre présent au passé // Of the profound ties that link our present to the past

Pleurtuit (Bretagne), 1944-2014 -- photo par Following The Golden Arrow

EN FRANÇAIS (ENGLISH TRANSLATION HERE)

Chers amis,

Aujourd'hui deux photos rencontrées sur Facebook m'ont profondément interpelée. 

Toutes les deux illustraient puissamment un thème que j'explore en profondeur dans ma trilogie : les liens forts entre le passé et notre présent. L'une était positive; l'autre très inquiétante : toutes les deux aussi importantes l'une que l'autre pour nous et notre devoir de mémoire en 2014.

La première photo, voir en-tête de cet article, est émouvante et inspirante. Elle représente un soldat américain en 1944, à Pleurtuit en Ille-et-Vilaine (à côté de ma ville natale de Saint-Malo), lors de la libération de la Bretagne par les forces alliées. Debout à ses côtés, par la magie de Photoshop, son petit-fils, un jeune réalisateur américain qui a retracé les pas de son grand-père dans un documentaire (cliquez ICI vers la page Facebook de ce film).

La seconde photo, voir ci-dessous, est une mise en garde cinglante; un appel au soutien, à la mémoire et à la vigilance. Elle était accompagnée du message suivant:  

"Pour tous mes amis en dehors de l'Allemagne : demain est le jour où Dresde a été bombardée en 1945. Des p**ain d'idiots nazis essaient d'utiliser ce jour anniversaire à leur avantage en organisant une marche dans notre belle ville. Il y aura beaucoup de protestations contre cette manifestation lamentable. Si vous pouviez partager cette image pour montrer votre soutien pour tous ceux qui descendront dans les rues demain afin de s'opposer à ces sales imbéciles de nazis, ce serait vraiment super! Merci!" 

Dresde, février 2014 -- photo par Katharina Simon

La France récemment a été au centre de bien des polémiques liées à la remontée de l'intolérance et de l'extrême droite. Mais ce message venait d'Allemagne, un pays terriblement marqué par son passé mais qui a fait énormément pour que ce passé ne se reproduise pas. 

Mais, hélas, ce qui a hanté les années trente et quarante du siècle dernier est toujours d'actualité : résurgence partout de l'antisémitisme, des racismes, de l'homophobie, de l'intolérance en général, et résurgences des mouvements extrémistes (néonazisme, extrémismes politiques et religieux...). Retenons les leçons de notre histoire ou nous serons condamnés à la voir se répéter à jamais.

Plus que jamais, chers amis, je crois que l'ouverture d'esprit et de coeur, le devoir de mémoire, la compassion et beaucoup de vigilance sont de rigueur.

Dresde, février 2014 -- photo par Katharina Simon

IN ENGLISH 

Pleurtuit (Brittany), 1944-2014 -- photo by Following The Golden Arrow

Dear friends,

Today two photos on Facebook have touched me deeply. Both powerfully illustrate a powerful theme I explore in depth in my trilogy : the strong links between the past and the present. One was positive and the other very disturbing: both equally relevant to us and to our duty of memory in 2014.

The first picture, see above, is moving and inspiring. It represents an American soldier in 1944 in Pleurtuit (near my home-town of Saint-Malo), during the Liberation of Brittany by the Allied forces. Standing next to him, through the magic of Photoshop, is his grand-son, a young American director who has retraced his grandfather's footsteps in a documentary -- click HERE to access the Facebook page of his film.

The second photo, see below, is a scathing reminder, a call for support, memory and watchfulness. It was accompanied by the following message: 

"To all my friends outside Germany: tomorrow is the day where Dresden was bombarded in 1945. Stupid f*cking Nazis try to use that day for their purpose with a march through our lovely city. There will be lots of protests against this disgraceful display. If you could grab this picture or my other current Facebook pic to show your support with everyone who gets on the street tomorrow to block those stupid Nazi idiots that would be great! Thanks!"

Dresden,  February 2014 -- photo by Katharina Simon

Unfortunately what plagued our history in the 1930s and 1940s is reappearing now: rise of anti-Semitism, racisms, homophobia, intolerance in general, and resurgence of extremist movements (Neonazism, political and religious extremisms...). Let's make sure we remember the lessons of our past or we'll be condemned to see it being repeated forever. 

More than ever, dear friends, I believe that an open mind and heart, a duty of memory, lots of compassion and much vigilance are "de rigueur"!

Dresden, Frebruary 2014 -- photo by Katharina Simon

Souvenons-nous! // Lest we forget!

Derrière le vieil homme fragile, le jeune soldat valeureux // Behind the frail old man, the young and brave soldier

EN FRANÇAIS (CLICK HERE FOR ENGLISH VERSION)

Aujourd'hui, 11 novembre, jour de l'Armistice où nous honorons ceux qui sont morts pour nous à la guerre, je me souviens tout particulièrement de mon arrière-grand-père, le plus délicieux des hommes, qui survécut en tant que poilu aux horreurs de Verdun et du Chemin des Dames (horreurs dont il ne voulut jamais parler ensuite). Je me souviens aussi de mes grands-oncles héros de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, en tant que résistants en France ou que membres des FFL aux côtés du général de Gaulle. Et de mon grand-père, résistant et FFI.

Nous avons tous des amis ou parents qui ont vécu la guerre, ou la vivent encore, car il semble que nous sommes incapables de décréter une fois pour toute que tel ou tel conflit sera le "der des ders" (le dernier pour toujours). Nous pensons à eux et ne les oublierons jamais.

Mais ce jour du souvenir me fait aussi penser à quelqu'un d'autre, quelqu'un de méconnu, quelqu'un d'oublié, parce que, malgré son héroïsme, il portait un nom maudit: je parle ici d'Albert Göring, le jeune frère du nazi, Hermann Göring. 

Horrifié par le nazisme, Albert utilisa le nom et l'influence de son frère pour sauver des Juifs de l'affreuse persécution des nazis pendant toute la guerre. Il le fit avec courage et conviction, vivant dans la terreur d'une arrestation par la Gestapo. La triste ironie pour lui fut qu'à la fin de la guerre, il fut incarcéré et accusé par les Alliés à cause de son nom et des crimes immondes commis par son frère. Il ne s'en remit jamais et mourut dans la pauvreté, soutenu par ceux qu'il avait sauvés.

Je ne peux m'empêcher de trouver une ressemblance entre la vie de ce frère sacrifié à cause de la folie meurtrière de son frère qu'il essaya comme il le put d'endiguer, et l'histoire du bon prince qui se sacrifie pour pouvoir neutraliser la folie destructrice de son frère dans la légende de l'Île Verte. Un niveau de plus est donné, je trouve, ici à l'expression de la fable de La Fontaine: "si ce n'est toi c'est donc ton frère"!

Albert Göring, le bon frère // Albert Göring, the good brother

IN ENGLISH

Today, November 11, Armistice Day when we honor those who died for us in the war, I particularly remember my great-grandfather, the most delightful of men, who survived the horrors of Verdun and the Chemin des Dames (horrors he never talked about later). I also remember my great-uncles, heroes of the Second World War, resistants in France or members of the FFL with General de Gaulle. And my grandfather too, a resistant and FFI .

We all have friends or relatives who have experienced war, or still do, because it seems we are unable to declare once and for all that a particular conflict will be the "end of all wars". We think of these individuals and will never forget them.

But Remembrance Day this year reminds me also of someone else, someone unknown, someone forgotten, because, despite his heroism, he wore a cursed name: I'm talking here about Albert Göring, the younger brother of top Nazi, Hermann Göring .

Horrified by Nazism, Albert used the name and influence of his brother to save Jews from the inhumane persecution of the Nazis during the war. He did so with courage and conviction, living in fear of an arrest by the Gestapo. The sad irony for him was that, at the end of the war, he was imprisoned and accused by the Allies because of his name and the terrible crimes committed by his brother. He never recovered and died in dire poverty, supported only by those he had saved.

I can't help being struck by the similarity between the story of the good Göring brother, sacrificed to his brother's murderous madness which he desperately tried to stem, and the story of the good prince who sacrifices himself in order to neutralize the destructive folly of his brother in the legend of l'Île Verte. That's one more level of understanding given to the expression from Jean de La Fontaine's fable: "If it's not you it must be your brother!"

Une pièce sur cette fratrie méconnue // A play about this largely unknown brotherhood

The Final version of the trailer for The Vertigo of the Rhombus.

Dear readers / visitors,

Here's the final version of my book trailer for The Vertigo of the Rhombus, which will be published in France at the end of  May.

So, without further ado, let the adventure start!

 

CLIQUEZ ICI POUR LA VERSION FRANÇAISE

The Next Big Thing...

THE NEXT BIG THING (La traduction en français est ICI)

I was tagged to be part of an internet meme (a viral sort of thing on the Internet) by the lovely and talented Rachel Ward, whose own version appeared here last Wednesday. It’s an opportunity to talk about a work in progress, and I’m really excited to be involved. 

1- What is the title of your next book?

The Vertigo of the Rhombus.

2- Where did the idea come from for the book?

This book is the second volume of a trilogy entitled “The Masters of the Storm” – the first volume, The Mark of the Storm, was published in France in April 2012 and the last volume, The Voice of the Egregor, is due in 2014. It’s a trilogy that takes place on an imaginary and very mysterious island off the coast of Brittany during WW2 (from Volume 2 part of the story also takes place in 2012). 

My childhood in Brittany lies at the heart of my imagination and of the inspiration for my trilogy. I was brought up surrounded by wild and atmospheric landscapes, Breton legends and family stories of the Second World War. All these form the core of my next book.

3- What genre does your book fall under?

It’s a bit of a mixture to be honest as it could be filed under quite a few labels: adventure, history, historical fantasy, magical realism, fantastic realism (a term I sort of made up for it!), Celtic legends, initiation, quest… I wrote it for teenagers (from age 12) but my French publisher loved it so much as an adult (I won’t post his age here!) that he thought other adults would love it too. So it’s published in France as a cross-over and I’ve had the joy of getting feedback from people of all ages (or to be more precise from ages 12 to 80 something!).

4- What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

My characters were born in my head and are reborn in the head of each of my readers so no actors immediately come to mind. If a director wanted to make my books into movies, he/she would have to do the casting for me. In an ideal world I’d love for my main characters to be played by unknowns who would take on their identity. Also I’d prefer the roles to be played by Europeans rather than Americans -- if possible!

Actually what sometimes happens is that I meet people in real life that have my characters’ features, which is each time an exhilarating experience. For instance, as I was looking around on the Internet to make the trailer for my first book, I found the photo of a German girl in 1940 who looked uncannily like Marwen, one of my main characters. Also, no later than last week while on holiday in Scotland, I met a pretty young woman who is exactly as I visualize the character of Marie-Louise in my book (see photos beneath).

A 1940 German girl is the image of my character Marwen. A lovely young Scottish woman I met last week was the spitting image of my character Marie-Louise.

 

5- What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

Sorry, two sentences instead of one!

“In 1942 and 2012, on a mysterious island battered by fierce thunderstorms, two adolescents have to fight the darkest of evils in the shape of the Rhombus, an infernal machine created by Nazi scientists. Will they be able to survive the vertigo of the Rhombus and save their souls, as well as those of the other islanders?”

6- Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

It will be published by my French publisher, Pascal Galodé, in May/June 2013. I don’t have an agent as it’s not done at all in France, where authors have to deal directly with publishers. I hope with all my heart that my trilogy will one day get translated into English and published in Britain – fingers crossed!

 

7- How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

I’m still writing it at the moment! Overall it will be about a year to get it all done. I work in a way that means my finished first draft is pretty much the final product. I sort out problems as I go along, mainly in my head (a sometimes unnerving way of working as it means quite a few stops and starts!). Since I want the plot in this story to be as exciting and meaty in both time periods (1942 and 2012), it’s meant writing two parallel books in one, each with their own crises and climaxes. I have a detailed road map for my two plots but I also adapt to what inspiration and the characters throw into my path as I write the story. It can be a challenge but I love doing it!

8- What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

This is a difficult question. I tend to read a massive amount of books for my research but they’re never similar to what I’m writing (i.e. the actual story is like nothing I’ve read before). I need to feel free in my imagination. So it’s from my readers that I get the answer to this question. I’ve been told that the first book reminded some of them of Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s novels. Also, when I saw the movie “Pan’s Labyrinth” I was struck by the similarities with my trilogy. 

9- Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Following on from my brief answer to Question 2!

Saint-Malo in Brittany, where I come from, was totally destroyed in 1944 and rebuilt lovingly by its inhabitants after the war. My great uncles, the youngest being 17 years old at the time, left Saint-Malo to join the free French forces in England in 1940 or stayed home and became members of the resistance. Their stories were like adventure yarns and affected me deeply when I was a child and a teenager. 

As to the more supernatural / occult side to my story, that comes from the Celtic legends and the strange and wondrous world of my Catholic religious education (a strong influence on most Breton people). Magic is only a footstep away from everyday life for most children and it stays that way for adults who are ready to look for it in their heart. This sensitivity to magic is what has kept me fascinated by the wonderful and strange aspects of real life and by the stories and tales of our ancestors. So, as a conclusion, I could say that the inspiration for this book and trilogy comes from the eternal child in me.

10- What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Beyond the obvious pacey adventure story, I think the fact that many of the supernatural / magic / fantasy aspects in the story are actually deeply rooted in reality will interest the reader. 

For instance Marwen’s gift of second sight is mentioned a lot in folk tales and, within the same tradition, is one of the gifts many modern witches and healers claim to have. What’s fascinating about it, however, is that the USA financed a big programme of what they called “remote viewing” (in fact second sight) during the Cold War years to spy on their enemies. About four years ago, when I was researching for my trilogy, I realized moreover that one of the most well-known current “remote viewers” lived in Bath, my town! How exciting is that?

11- My 5 (actually 4) writers for next Wednesday are:

Joanna Nadin

Karen Saunders

Fletcher Moss

Amanda Craig

They’re all very talented writers and lovely people too. I’m really looking forward to finding out what’s the next big thing from them…

PS: For those of you who can read French and would be interested, the first volume of my trilogy, La Marque de l'Orage, is available on Amazon UK here (postage free!).