Joseph René Noyau (1911–84) was a Creolophone and Francophone Mauritian writer and poet who wrote under a number of pseudonyms including Jean Erenne which he used for the poems in this collection. Noyau lived and wrote at a crucial time in the history of the island of Mauritius. He was a passionately committed man of letters and a pioneer of personal and literary freedom in the march to an independent Mauritius. This book presents a selection of Noyau’s poems in their original French and in English translation.

From Peter Pegnall:

'There are many reasons to be fascinated by René Noyau… He cannot be pigeonholed in any particular style or subject matter, moves from the earthy to the ethereal, often in the same poem. A devotee of the surreal image, exotic and startling, he is also capable of a raw clarity that hammers home his meaning. Like many true artists, René was not the best custodian or promoter of his work and his native land was not entirely ready for his force or originality. The current volume is an effort to reach an audience he might never have imagined, to be a recognition and a discovery for years to come, crossing age and cultural barriers.'

~

Joseph René Noyau (1911-84), écrivain et poète mauricien, créolophone et francophone, utilisait un bon nombre de pseudonymes. Les poèmes de ce recueil sont signés Jean Erenne. Il vivait et écrivait à une époque critique de l’histoire de l’île Maurice. Homme de lettres engagé, il était passionnément dévoué à la liberté d’expression tant sur le plan personnel que littéraire, dans la marche vers une île Maurice indépendante. Ce livre contient une sélection bilingue de poèmes de Noyau dans leur langue d’origine, le français, et leur traduction en anglais.