On November 8, immerse yourself in Franck Lirzin’s new book, ‘When a tree tells the world’, a new work which gives voice to an immobile and thousand-year-old witness: a Robinia false-acacia. This tale halfway between a philosophical tale and a historical epic propose a unique look at human history through the eyes of a tree, the oldest in Paris. Me, Robinier I. Franck Lirzin offers us a wonderful and zany dive into the mind of a tree… which tells us about this world that we share with it.
A unique story through the ages and the roots of humanity
Robinia 1st, a tree that came from America in the 16th century, has seen and experienced everything: the risky acclimatization in a new world, the meeting with kings and scholars, and the climatic and urban upheavals. Through his eyes, we revisit four centuries of tumultuous history between men and trees, from the veneration of cedars by Indian tribes to the blind exploitation of natural resources by Europeans. The tree confides in Sistine, a young girl who, unlike all the other passers-by, sees and listens to him. Over the seasons, he tells her about his origins, his travels, and the encounters that have marked his life.
A poetic plea to rethink our relationship with nature
‘When a Tree Tells the World’ is more than just a novel, it is an invitation to rediscover trees as essential partners in our daily lives. By mixing historical reality and fiction, Franck Lirzin pleads for a radical change in our relationship with nature, calling for trees to be placed at the center of our urban lives. With this story accessible to all, he wants to reach a wide audience and pay tribute to these green giants that we no longer know how to listen to.
“I, Son of Black Locust, lord of the Appalachians and companion of the Cherokees,
and sweet Fabaceae, princess of the Tennessee valley, […] Champion of Fabaceae and Legumes, […] Great traveler of the Atlantics and the Seas and of unknown lands, Parisian of heart and flesh, oldest inhabitant of this capital, Having already lived more than four centuries […] Explorer and conqueror of Eurasia, […] Confidant of Kings and Queens, obsession of the Simplicists and Botanists, Companion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Prosper Mérimée, André Breton and Aragon, Friend of the illustrious Baron Haussmann, […] Pioneer of difficult lands, wastelands and deforested areas, Without fear or reproach, Condottier in disturbed ecosystems and great Fixer of eroded soils, father nitrifier, Nightmare of old deciduous trees and stupid walnut trees, Home of persecuted birds, shelter of insects sometimes (as little as possible) […] Exotic curiosity in a foreign land, plant anomaly of botanical classifications, Cut three times, struck by lightning, moved, transplanted, cut up, bricked up, smothered with ivy, threatened with death five times, And more vivacious than ever…”
Learn more about Franck Lirzin
Franck Lirzin is a graduate of the Ecole Polytechnique (major of the 2003 class) and the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) (Master of Political Studies, with honors, with Bernard Manin and Philippe Urfalino), he is a mining engineer. A specialist in economic, monetary and financial issues, he was an engineer at RATP, an economist at Société Générale Asset Management UK and then advisor to the Prefect of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region on economic issues. He currently works at the Ministry of the Economy on European issues. Franck Lirzin is director of transformation at SNCF Immobilier.
“Of the 47,282 species assessed, at least 16,425 (38%) are in danger of extinction,” Franck Lizin. More than one in three tree species is threatened with extinction across the world. »
Practical information
‘When a tree tells the world’ by Franck Lirzin. Published by Aube. 23€. In bookstores from November 8, 2024. 296 pages.
Video from September 13, 2022. Franck Lirzin discussed his latest book “Paris facing climate change”, published by Éditions de l’Aube. Taking the example of Paris, this essay shows that solutions exist and that cities can adapt to prepare for this future and become ecological and bioclimatic metropolises.
