DC Books, in partnership with the French Institute in India, had the pleasure of inaugurating the Pardon My French! corner last afternoon at their bookstore in Statue Junction, Thiruvananthapuram. This event marked a significant moment in the promotion of French literature in India, offering Indian book lovers privileged access to a carefully selected range of French titles, in both English and Malayalam.
The Pardon My French! programme, organised by the Institut Français en Inde/French Institute in India, aims to make contemporary French literature more accessible to readers by creating identified corners in bookshops across the country. Typically used in English to excuse offensive language, “Pardon My French!” is meant quite literally here: thanks to translations, one does not need to speak French to access its literature and its wealth of new ideas, voices, and stories.
The afternoon was marked by a captivating literary conversation between two eminent personalities: Dr Shashi Tharoor, writer and Hon’ble Member of Parliament (LS), Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, and H.E. Dr Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to India. The room was packed as attendees gathered to hear about Dr Tharoor’s personal journey through French literature, from his first literary encounters to his most cherished reading experiences.
An erudite reader fluent in French, Dr Tharoor shared profound reflections on the impact of French authors and thinkers on his way of perceiving the world, evoking beloved classics, memorable first impressions, and the unique experience of discovering French works in their original language. He stressed the fact that no culture is pure and that every culture has evolved by being in conversation with other cultures, with translated literature creating precisely this bridge. He further pointed out that reading foreign authors should be envisioned as a way to “expand your identity”, urging readers to experience French literature “not as something foreign but as something familiar”.
He highlighted the importance of translation into regional languages, promoting open-mindedness and critical thinking by discovering other ways of thinking. He recalled the fact that exactly a hundred years ago, in 1925, Nalappattu Narayana Menon translated Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables as Paavangal: “It was a cultural transplantation and the soil of Kerala received it not just out of curiosity but with gratitude and a bit of revolutionary fervour,” he commented, adding that Hugo’s novel had a pivotal influence on shaping the revolutionary spirit of Kerala in the face of the British colonizers.
Among the many authors cited by Dr Tharoor were Albert Camus, Guy de Maupassant, Simone de Beauvoir, Gustave Flaubert, and Marguerite Duras. He spoke of how these readings influenced his perception and travels in France, stating that “When you look at Notre-Dame, you think of Quasimodo. When you pass the Bastille, you can’t help but think of the French revolution.” What is fascinating, according to him, is that French culture keeps updating itself. Paris is a city where culture is not only seen through beautiful buildings, but also at famous cafés where French intellectuals like Sartre and Beauvoir used to gather. “Culture is the greatest asset of France”, he declared.
He further emphasized the influence of French values of democracy, liberalism and its passion for justice all over the world. “Many French writers had an impact because they challenge you to think about the world differently”, he reflected, citing “voices of fierce honesty, expending empathy”. “Without French literature, I would be impoverished”.
Ambassador Thierry Mathou, for his part, said: “I am delighted to inaugurate the Pardon my French! corner here in Kerala with Dr Shashi Tharoor. Our discussion today focussed on the shared love and celebration of literature between our two countries. The launch of the new Malayalam translations of the Caribbean’s ‘grande dame’ Maryse Condé’s The Gospel According to the New World, and Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux’s Les Années, at DC Books, as part of the PMF initiative, is another milestone in the Indo-French cooperation on arts and culture, aimed at bringing the best of contemporary and classic French titles to a bookstore near you to make them more accessible to Indian readers.“
Ambassador Thierry Mathou also spoke of his own experiences with French literature and discussed the influence of French writers on global thought and culture. He pointed out that the French language does not belong to France alone and that, with more than 300 million French speakers, the majority of whom live outside of France, the expansion of French and its literary future stretches far beyond French territory. Writings by Francophone writers from different parts of the world are particularly sought after in India, as evidenced by the books on the shelves of the Pardon My French! space at DC Books, filled with French-speaking writers from all over the world: Frantz Fanon, Maryse Condé, Amin Maalouf, Gauz’.
The discussion was followed by a question-and-answer session with young people from local schools, offering enriching perspectives on the importance of literature in our times. Dr Tharoor and Ambassador Mathou were asked about the future of French in the face of the hegemony of English, and Dr Tharoor in particular told the pupils that French remains one of the two official languages of the UN, briefly donning his diplomat’s hat again.
He concluded by addressing the audience in French: “Long live literature and long live Indo-French friendship!” The Pardon My French! space at DC Books in Thiruvananthapuram is open to all book lovers, and is additionally a treasure trove for readers eager to discover the treasures of French literature. The selection of French titles at DC Books includes a mix of timeless classics and contemporary titles,from Beauvoir to Bussi, Camus to Condé, Sartre to Satrapi, as well as special editions and goodies.
