Poetic Obituaries: Born in 1928 in Sainte-Marie (Martinique),

and a pupil of Aimé Césaire at the Lycée Schoelcher in Fort-de-France, Edouard Glissant was actively involved in the struggle against colonial rule, calling for the independence of Algeria. From Un champ d'îles (1953), and La Terre inquiète (1954) to the epic poem Les Indes (1956), his writing speaks of the oppression of the Caribbean people. His novels, like La Lézarde (1958) and Malemort (1975), also evoke a people haunted by a painful history, searching for an identity.

from UNESCO Media Services: The Director General expresses sorrow at the death of Martinican writer, Edouard Glissant

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