Friday, March 6, 2009

Radio France documentary on Janet Frame

French radio journalist Anne de Giafferri visited New Zealand over the southern hemisphere summer and travelled around the country meeting people, looking at our beautiful environment, especially the native bush, researching New Zealand literature especially the Maori writers, and recording the sounds of birds.

Anne also gathered material for a documentary on Janet Frame while she was here, that was later broadcast on Radio France as part of the UNE VIE, UNE OEUVRE series.

Anne talked to a few friends and associates and family of Janet Frame, as well as consulting a variety of academics to hear the latest proliferation of multi-faceted theories that Janet Frame's writing continues to spawn, even (or should that be especially) in France.

The Radio France web site contains a short biography listing some of the most recent editions of French translations of Janet Frame's work.

Janet Frame's books have been well-received in France. Along with Katherine Mansfield, who of course lived in France, Janet Frame is the best known New Zealand writer in France, although the 2006 special focus on New Zealand writers as part of the Les Belles Etrangères initiative has managed to bring more Kiwi writers to the attention of the French public.

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