Joan Ganhaire

Joan Ganhaire is quickly recognized as one of the major authors of contemporary Occitan literature. Speaking in Limousin patois, the writer builds a half-real, half-imaginary universe, inspired by the landscapes of Périgord and Aquitaine, which is first perceived through sensations. Men seek their truth there. Faced with an always possible death, faced with omnipresent violence, faced with one's own failings, where can one find a little comfort? Religions are powerless to eradicate evil. Friendship does not eliminate the feeling of loneliness. The only help remains laughter, a shared laugh where everyone admits their weaknesses and recognizes the other as their neighbour. To laugh is to experience oneself together in a joyful community, it is to exorcise evil, it is to escape anxiety and regain one's freedom. Through her nhòrlas, her swashbuckling novels, and above all her fantastic short stories and detective stories, Joan Ganhaire explores the human soul with all the resources offered by the Occitan language and culture.