Releasing three books in one year, all published in France, by Éditions L’Harmattan, is not given to everyone. That’s what Keating’s Stefan Hart achieved this year. After Page Tournée published in May, he presented us with Essentiel in September. Malcolm de Chazal otherwise will be released in France on November 7.
If Page Turned* is a collection of poems, Essentiel is a compilation of texts by Robert-Edward Hart, mainly his poetry. This tribute aims to make Robert-Edward Hart – an illustrious but little-known poet among young people – more visible locally and internationally.
Essential bears its title well, since the fundamentals of the life and work of Robert-Edward Hart are found there. This selection of texts is aimed not only at adults but also at young people, says Stefan Hart from Keating. “It’s old-fashioned romantic poetry, with a metaphysical side. These are very beautiful rhymes. Robert-Edward Hart was a big influencer in his time. He inspired other artists.”
Keating’s Stefan Hart regrets “that we cannot sell books at La Nef. Museum visitors often want to read Robert-Edward Hart. It’s not a question of money, but of access to the poetry of Robert-Edward Hart. Not allowing it in the museum is an aberration”.
As for Malcolm de Chazal differentlypublished in the Lettres d’Ailleurs collection by L’Harmattan, the work invites us to take another look at the writer, poet, painter and philosopher. The adventure of this book begins in 2000, when Stefan Hart de Keating was a contributor to the quarterly magazine Autopsy. “One day, I was asked to go see who benefits from the works of Malcolm de Chazal. That was the big question at the time. I carried out my investigation. As much as I am the great cousin of Robert-Edward Hart, I am the great nephew of Malcolm de Chazal. As a result, I was in contact with the family, including my grandmother, who told me stories about him. These are anecdotes, unpublished family stories that I have compiled”emphasizes Stefan Hart of Keating.
He first wanted to make it into a comic strip. “It was very scripted, with mostly dialogue.” This first draft remained in his computer for years, with the occasional addition of a new anecdote. This year, after the publication of Essentiel, he decided to release Malcolm de Chazal differently. Not without including the description of the house where he lived and the atmosphere of Port-Louis at the time. “I did quite a bit of research.”
In the work that we were able to consult, we find Malcolm de Chazal in his privacy, at the Villa Sylvain where he grew up, which smells of serenity. The character who could be “as execrable, he had a certain charm that was attractive”emphasizes Stefan Hart of Keating. We see Malcolm de Chazal as a teenager, “spending his time having fun”.*At 16, we follow him on the long journey to America where he pursues studies that he considers “dreary and useless”. We find him back in Maurice changed. We follow his quest for self. Malcolm de Chazal differently can be read in one go, with a smile on your face. It transports us into the intimacy of a character that we sometimes have difficulty understanding. The writing is imbued with poetry and tinged with a good dose of humor. This fictionalized biography will certainly interest those who already know Chazal’s Malcolm and invite others to appreciate him better. “I didn’t want to make this book a thesis, I kept it simple. We discover Complicated Malcolm in the words of everyone. The anecdotes can be read individually or even out loud.emphasizes Stefan Hart of Keating.
“Essential” is available on Amazon, at the Petrusmok bookstore at Hennessy Park Hotel and soon at Bookcourt. “Malcolm de Chazal differently” is available for pre-sale on Amazon.
“I painted before writing”
Stefan Hart from Keating also paints. “I painted before I wrote. But painting requires means, time, inspiration. About ten years ago, I returned to painting but I never exhibited”he explains.
At his home in Roches-Noires, Stefan Hart de Keating is constantly teasing the palette. Around forty paintings are waiting: landscapes of Mauritius, portraits, still lifes. “I paint for pleasure. I don’t tell myself that I have to exhibit”he explains. “My technique is hyper realism with a touch of impressionism.”
