in 25 years, the Breton publishing house Bannù-Heol has modernized the Breton language

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The Breton publishing house Bannù-Heol is 25 years old. It all started in 1999. Arnaud Elegoët, a young music education teacher from Brittany, noted that the number of works in Breton for children and young people was limited.

The teacher then had the idea of ​​creating his own publishing house: Bannù-Heol was born in Quimper (Finistère). “Keit Vimp Bev editions had already released the comic Yakari in Breton and the publishing house An Here had also tackled the translation of Tintin but I wanted to expand the choice because there was still a lot to imagine,” recalls Arnaud Elégoët.

Beginnings with Boule and Bill

Himself fascinated by comics, he started with an album by Boule et Bill. He contacted the Dargaud publishing house in Belgium and quickly obtained their agreement.

In 1999, at the Carhaix book fair, the album Sell ​​'yes ! (Hey, here’s Boule and Bill) sits alone in front of Arnaud Elegoët but the reception is enthusiastic.

The 1,000 copies sold very quickly. A thousand more will be printed and sold.

Titeuf, Thorgal, Little brown bear…

A team of Breton natives comes to support him as well as the Public Office of the Breton Language, particularly for proofreading. The translations of five albums by Titeuf will follow, including one translated by students from the Diwan du Relecq Kerhuon college, as well as the translation of four albums by Thorgal.

Little ones are not forgotten: “The adventures of Little Brown Bear and those of Leo and Popi also find their way to Breton,” continues Arnaud Elégoët. The editor does not lackenthusiasm and of creativity : in fact, cardboard picture books for learning the first words in Breton have been published and, more recently, puzzles on Brittany and Celtic countries.

A shock at the age of 10

So many fun initiatives led by Arnaud Elégoët who, as a child, saw Breton “as an outdated language, a language without a future, a language spoken here and there by elderly people” until the discovery, at the age of 10 years, children's books in Breton.

It was a shock to see a book in Breton. I didn't think that such an old language could enjoy such modern and pleasant support!

He continues today his translation work but also recently launched into production: “It’s a form of achievement for a publishing house. » The public remembers the very beautiful CD-book Ear Bed published in 2018, a book which also received the Prix des Libraires de Bretagne. “Motivated by this success and happy to see Breton being heard in music in the families of schoolchildren and other learners, I launched the project of a revisited and re-orchestrated version of the cantata The Blind Horse written by Job of Irene et Rene Abjean at the beginning of the 80s,” adds Arnaud Elégoët.

The success was not denied this time either. Drawing on the rich Breton heritage and modernizing it is a great way to reclaim the language.

The adventure continues

25 years of reading pleasure in Breton and the adventure continues since this year four albums by the hero Tchoupi, well known to children, were published, four children's albums and above all there was the reissue of a Tintin album!

When I was young I loved Tintin. An Here Editions released the album Le crabe aux pinces d'or in 1989 but it had been out of print for a long time and therefore impossible to find. I had 2000 copies reissued.

The Breton comic strip has been on the market since November.

Maryse Saliou

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