Avec l’auteur Benjamin Hoffmann
Talk
Benjamin Hoffmann, Associate Professor of French, director of the Centre d'Excellence, and specialist of eighteenth-century literature and philosophy at the Ohio State University will discuss his recent novel L'Île de la Sentinelle
French Connexion - Washington University in St Louis
UMRATH, Room 140
Saint Louis, US 63130
November 10, 2022 | 3:00 pm (CST) | In person & Virtual
Benjamin Hoffmann, Associate Professor of French, director of the Centre d’Excellence, and specialist of eighteenth-century literature and philosophy at the Ohio State University will discuss in-person or via Zoom in French his recent novel L’Île de la Sentinelle (Gallimard, 2022).
About the book (in french)
Située à mille kilomètres des côtes de l’Inde, l’île de la Sentinelle abrite le dernier peuple entièrement coupé du monde moderne, les Sentinelles. Personne ne sait d’où ils viennent, quelle langue ils parlent, quelles sont leurs croyances. Seule certitude à leur sujet : cela fait des siècles qu’ils repoussent les étrangers qui se risquent chez eux, voyageurs vénitiens, colons britanniques, naufragés chinois, braconniers malaisiens, monarques européens ou missionnaires venus des États-Unis. L’île de la Sentinelle raconte l’histoire de ce peuple et celle de Krish et Markus, deux amis que tout oppose, hormis leur fascination pour l’île interdite. L’un est anthropologue, marié à une Américaine et d’origine indienne ; l’autre est un éditeur new-yorkais célibataire et l’héritier d’une immense fortune bâtie dans le marché de l’art.
Emporté par le souffle de l’aventure, L’île de la Sentinelle est un récit sur l’amitié et le temps qui passe, sur les rapports de classes et l’Amérique contemporaine, sur la destruction d’un couple, sur la mondialisation et ceux qui tentent de lui échapper.
About the author
Benjamin Hoffmann grew up in Bordeaux. After studying modern literature and philosophy at the Sorbonne and the École Normale Supérieure, he earned a PhD from Yale University and he’s currently an Associate Professor at The Ohio State University where he teaches 18th century French literature and creative writing. His research has been supported by the Whiting Foundation, the Beinecke Library at Yale University, and the College of Arts and Sciences at The Ohio State University.
Hoffmann is the author of eight books published in France and the US. His work explores various genres (novel, story, short story, essay, critical study) to question recurring themes: exile and the representation of otherness; nostalgia and the experience of mourning; lies and the social impact of new technologies; the legacy of the Enlightenment and the Age of Great discoveries; America’s history and its troubled present.
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In partnership with
French Connexions Cultural Center at Washington University in St Louis
The French Connections Cultural Center, housed in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures (RLL) at Washington University in St. Louis, helps promote French Language and culture in the heart of the Midwest. It is a member of The Centers of Excellence, a support network for the Embassy of France to develop transatlantic relationship on their campus.
