LWhen we talk about writers attached to the island of Oléron, the name of Pierre Loti comes first. Unfortunately, a woman from the same period is often forgotten: the feminist author Marcelle Tinayre.
It was someone
Stéphanie Roumégous, tour guide, art historian and former guide at the Pierre-Loti house in Rochefort, looked into this injustice. Because Marcelle Tinayre was someone! Born in Tulle in 1870, she led a Parisian and international literary career. All the while writing for the feminist newspaper “La Fronde” and participating in the creation of the Prix Fémina.
Even though her 30 or so successful novels talk about love, they also address feminist subjects, not really to the taste of this end of the 19th century.e century: extramarital affairs, women journalists and artists, unwed mothers, abortion and wedding night rape. No wonder the iconoclast refused the Legion of Honor, with a scandal in the press to back it up.
Alain-Quella Villéger, a specialist in Pierre Loti and supporter of the festival (1), was one of the first to rediscover this author, dedicating several books to her and republishing her works in the 2000s. However, the literary world remained silent. Marcelle Tinayre has recently been rediscovered and the first women’s book fair in Saint-Trojan, which takes place on Saturday, September 21 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Jules-Vinsous kiosk opposite the Saint-Trojan casino, is part of this dynamic. It is not for nothing that it is called “Women in books, Marcelle-Tinayre festival”.
But why Saint-Trojan? Quite simply because Marcelle Tinayre’s parents settled there until the end of their lives. Their daughter came to see them regularly and took the opportunity to work on her novels. Sadly, she lost her 5-year-old daughter Suzanne there, who is buried in the town cemetery with her grandparents. Inevitably, in several works, the author mentions Oléron, leaving a veritable document on the vanished landscapes, train stations, ports, salt marshes and other sandy roads.
A street
“In Saint-Trojan there is indeed a Marcelle-Tinayre street, but no one knows who she was anymore. It’s time to rediscover our memories!” enthuses Stéphanie Roumegous. After spending energy putting together this first edition, she plans to hold the show again every year during the Matrimony Days, as she says. “Each time, a different theme from the work and life of Marcelle Tinayre will be discussed,” explains the organizer.
We even hear the voice of Marcelle Tinayre during a 1937 interview!
This time, she will offer a discovery exhibition of the author based on photos, book extracts and archive documents, notably from the Tinayre collection in Corrèze. “We will even hear Marcelle Tinayre’s voice during an interview from 1937!” explains Stéphanie Roumegous. In the exhibition, we will also come across Pierre Loti, Sarah Bernhardt, Proust, James Joyce, Pierre and Marie Curie.
In the Jules-Vinsous kiosk, Marcelle Tinayre’s office will be recreated to immerse the public in the atmosphere.
Stephanie Roumegous
This first fair will also bring together around ten authors from Oléron and Charente-Maritime from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The highlight will be at 3 p.m., when Stéphanie Roumegous, a regular at historical reenactments, will play Marcelle Tinayre in a theatrical portrait.
(1) The festival also received support from the descendants of Marcelle Tinayre and Éditions Antoinette-Fouques.
