Colette Nys-Mazure is all the more surprised that Celebration of everyday life was released over 25 years ago. “It has been translated into several languages, including English. I am delighted to see that it continues its life by being reissued”enthuses the writer living in Tournai. “I am delighted because this book required a lot of writing work. It was an order from a Parisian publisher, who gave me carte blanche. Spontaneously, I explained to him that I wanted to offer a book joyful, a book that says something good about everyday life. My parents died at 30, when I was seven. I know the value of everyday life. And I’m a little fed up with people who complain, who complain. fall asleep on disappointments, failures. I believe that our gaze makes the most insignificant things of life shine. We can always find something to rejoice in the details of landscapes, of faces…”
To justify her selection, the Queen explained that the “wonderful book” by Colette Nys-Masure instilled a “vision positive”. According to Mathilde, the work “invites us to appreciate the little things in life, because in our daily routine, we are often elsewhere, absent, impervious to the sources of wonder that fill our ordinary life”. Does the writer believe that the sovereign has summarized the approach well? “Yes, very good. I really like the use of the word ‘wonder’, which refers to the constant astonishment that children can be struck by. On the other hand, when I give writing advice, I recommend banish the word ‘small’ There are no small things, only things experienced small.”
The other two books appearing in the queen’s selection are “The Bold” by Bart Van Loo and “The Amnesiacs” by Géraldine Schwarz.
