Jean Giono, a French novelist known in Romania through several books, including Harvest (Otava), was born and lived for a time in Manosque. I was recently there, invited to a literary festival. The organizers placed me in a small house at the heart of a splendid garden, the remnant of an old forest. On the wall was written Le Giono. It had once been the writer’s holiday home, so it felt only natural to begin a new book at the garden table.
It was a warm autumn, with an air that gently reminded you how wonderful it is to be alive. I also had Zogru with me, constantly speaking in two languages. Yet the sense of well-being had begun earlier, in Paris, after a brief encounter with Hermes.
The Romanian Embassy is located in the Béhague Palace, a place once frequented by many remarkable figures, among them Paul Valéry. Among the statues scattered throughout the garden, beneath the old tree canopies, the ghost of Hermes sometimes passes by, recalling the image of a book being turned by the wind itself.
I was speaking with Andra Mangu, who confessed in a whisper that long poems sometimes drift through the palace, remnants of other times. Naturally, I could already see Valéry breathing over the pages, which turned into a fine dust floating toward the windows—when Andra laughed and reassured me: don’t worry, it was only a metaphor!
She then told me, in her cultivated voice, the extraordinary history of the Béhague Palace, purchased by Romania in 1939. I entered the Embassy, had the honor of greeting Ms. Sena Latif, and finally took part in a luminous evening dedicated to Zogru: lights, an elegant audience, praise, and book signings. Yet, as I was leaving and crossing the garden—perhaps influenced by Andra’s stories—I heard a voice close to my ear saying quite clearly: Give my regards to Giono.
And believe me, I did not need to ask. I know for certain that, in such moments, it is always Hermes speaking—my favorite invisible companion.
The novel Z O G R U was published in France by Les Éditions du Typhon (Marseille), with the support of the Jan Michalski Foundation. The translation is signed by Florica Courriol.
Events in France: Paris (Romanian Embassy), Manosque (Désir de Lire Festival), Marseille.
https://leseditionsdutyphon.com/all-collections/les-hallucines/zogru
