The French writer Jean-Marie Le Clézio has made an impact on the world of literature. Already at a young age he gained the Nobel Prize for Literature. He recently turned 80 and this picture was taken when he was at an earlier age.

He published a new book, set in the island of Mauritius where once the famous bird ‘dodo’ lived. The protagonist in this novel ‘Alma’ is a scientist who wants to trace the extint bird species ‘dodo’. During his research his makes some startling discoveries about his own family. His ancestors owned a plantation, growing tobacco and sugarcane. Now he search for the lost dodo turns into a search for the lost memories of his ancestors.

By the way, in the character of the protagonist Jéremy Felsen, we find traces of the writer himself. The father of Le Clézio worked in West Africa as a medical doctor for the British government during the second world war. Other ancestors fled France during the Revolution and settled on the island of Mauritius where they started a plantation.  

In this article you will find more information about this French writer and his latest book ‘Alma’.