English
Corinne Maier
Writer
My name is Corinne. One day, when I was a little girl, I disappeared. By nightfall, my parents, who were worried, found me in their big garden, armed with a little flashlight. I was looking for something – something I couldn’t give a name to. And to this day, I’m still looking for it. This big mess must have some sense to it…
I am an author. I write in French, and I am French, Belgian and Swiss. What I call « Swifranbel, » that improbable mix of Switzerland, France and Belgium, is my country. Of course, it’s just a formula, because my country, my true country, is wherever there is laughter. And unfortunately, there is less and less laughter around. The planet is not doing too well, and neither am I.
I’m also an economist, a historian and a psychoanalyst. I’ve written around 20 books, essays, pamphlets, narratives, and cartoon scripts. I write about what I’m interested in, without worrying about who’s going to read me. Some of my books are very widely read, others hardly read at all. A whole series of questions run through what I write: how does society function? What does it mean to create something new? What is madness, and how can it conjure up different worlds? How does one start a revolution?
Some of my books are very serious, others much less so. It’s thanks to the books on contemporary society that I became famous. The New York Times described me as a « countercultural icon » and the BBC included me in 2016 in the club of the « 100 most inspirational and inspirational women in the world. »
Through my books, I experienced success, trouble, insomnia and hangovers. I flew around the world, wrote articles, lost a few friends, and met some fantastic people. I exasperated my employer, shocked parents, intrigued cynics, seduced those with nothing left to lose, least of all illusions.
There are people who are shocked by what I do, because I excoriate work, family and country. May those who like the world as it is — who say yes to bombs dropped in the name of democracy, to oceans polluted with bits of plastic, to children who are completely out of place in an overpopulated world — walk straight past and go read other people’s words.
English-speaking readers: this text is addressed to you. Since you’re reading me, I take the opportunity to send you a message. The word I prefer is FAR. To me, it’s all happening FAR AWAY. So don’t hesitate to contact me with any international offers: writer’s residencies, conferences, or even work on a farm in Australia. Pourquoi pas? My suitcase is packed and ready. A bientôt.
Traduction : www.nayerietc.com
My books in English
