Paris 2015: René Maran, Cimetière du Montparnasse #1

 

'RENÉ MARAN
HOMME DE LETTRES
PRIX GONCOURT 1921
1887 – 1960

MME CAMILLE MARAN
1894 – 1977'

 

I really didn't have any hope of finding René Maran's grave in Montparnasse: I knew the division number, but with no image of it online it seemed a wild shot. And then Joseph from the Cimetière du Montparnasse came along and showed us a number of graves we'd have had some difficulty in finding, casually mentioning Maran's as we passed by it. Maran's name is unfortunately in shadow, but who cares: this is an unexpected gem.

 

Maran was actually born on a boat taking his parents (of Guyanese origin) to Fort-de-France, Martinique, the place of his declared birth. He spent most of his life in France, was the first black writer to win the Goncourt (for the novel Batouala), and is seen as a precursor to négritude. It was viewed by some as controversial because of the attacks on colonialism in the Preface. Many thanks to Joseph for this find.