Before the Brive Book Fair, from November 8 to 10, this adopted Corrézien presented his seventh novel at the Saint-Robert literary café.
“His novel, believe me, will be one of the events of this literary season.
» The president of the Brive Book Fair (Corrèze), Jérôme Garcin, was won over by readingAnother one is waiting for me elsewhereby Chistophe Bigot, written partly in Saint-Robert. Precisely, on Wednesday October 30, in the Bel-air Amitié room (which has never lived up to its name so well) in this Corrèze commune, around a hundred people of all ages took part in a literary café dedicated to this work, the one of the finalists for the Prix Fémina, whose jury will announce its verdict this Tuesday, November 5.
A conflagration at 76 years old
Having become a Corrèze institution in its 25 years of existence, this literary café takes place every last Wednesday of the month, except in winter. In a warm atmosphere, we share beautiful readings and fiery discussions.
Wednesday October 30, while outside, the thermometer displayed the heat of an Indian summer, inside the room, with light stone walls, Christophe Bigot recounted, with passion, his journey as a writer, before retracing the birth of his novel. A book dedicated to the crazy story of the last love of Marguerite Yourcenar, one of the sacred monsters of literature, for Jerry Wilson, an American homosexual photographer, 46 years her junior.
“At 76, she experienced a conflagration which made her return to the intensity of her first youthful passions,” summarizes Christophe Bigot. Yourcenar was not at all this marble statue of our collective imagination. »
In Saint-Robert, Christophe Bigot is at home.
“It’s beautiful, it’s tragic and so human”
Wednesday, October 30, the audience at the literary café was captivated by the author's story. As one participant summed up so well: “It’s beautiful, it’s tragic and so human. It's not just a book about Marguerite Yourcenar. He also talks about us, about our difficulty in being and living. »
Why, for Christophe Bigot, was it so important to present his work in Saint-Robert, before the Brive Book Fair? “By reciprocal, emotional, family and friendly loyalty,” he answers. I presented all my books at the Saint-Robert literary café. From the first to the penultimate, under the aegis of Sister Marie-André Rousseau, who died very recently. She, who ran the literary café for years, was extremely attentive to my work as a writer and always accompanied me. I therefore dedicated this evening of the presentation to him. »
Receive our leisure newsletter by email and find ideas for outings and activities in your region.
Kamel Daoud and Gaël Faye, Goncourt and Renaudot 2024, will present their novel at the Brive Book Fair
Saint-Robert, a land of history and stories
The writer remembers very well his first stay in Saint-Robert in the spring of 2005. “The weather was not good. But, despite the absence of the sun, I was seduced by the beauty of the village. I was welcomed by my beautiful family. I fell in love with the region. Since then, it has been one of the places where I prepare my lessons and write my books. And between two writing sessions, you can walk among sheep, cows and horses. »
Passionate about History and the French Revolution, Christophe Bigot explains: “my partner has loads of family archives here. For example, he showed me sheets of assignats (paper money issued during the Revolution, pledged on property confiscated by the State from the crown and the Church, Editor's note). He also has some period documents, stamped by the Constituent Assembly and concerning local political life. »
A haven of peace and classical music
Christophe Bigot's companion, Sylvain Moulène, is the artistic director of the Saint-Robert Festival, the 52nd edition of which took place last August. “In 20 years, I have had to miss two concerts at the festival,” explains the writer. “I experienced very privileged evenings there, with the magic of the live show and moments of wonderful conviviality between the volunteers and the musicians. Here , we had the opportunity here to sympathize with the singer Karine Deshayes or the pianist Alexandre Tharaud. Only in Saint-Robert can we have this proximity with internationally renowned artists. evenings summer, after the concerts, with artists who are delighted to be there, in the middle of the green landscapes, above this magnificent valley that we call the sea of green. “
A documentary on Yourcenar, in filming
The novel, Another is waiting for me elsewhere, really pleased Antoine Busnel, former host of the show The Great Bookstore on France 5, that the latter decided to film a documentary on Marguerite Yourcenar in which Christophe Bigot will participate. In the meantime, his book continues his life on the path to success. Which will lead him, perhaps, this Tuesday, November 5, to the coronation of the Prix Fémina.
A brilliant journey. Normalien, agrégé de lettres, Christophe Bigot is part of an elite corps of National Education. A literary preparatory class teacher for twenty years, he practices his profession in one of the most prestigious high schools in Paris, Condorcet.
Texte et photos : Dragan Perovic
