Timothée de Fombelle in London
Timothée de Fombelle is someone whom the Book Office, along with his publisher Walker Books and his translator Sarah Ardizzone, has had the pleasure of helping to get known by the British public. Since he has recently started to be active in the UK, we thought it would be nice to say a few words about his multi-faceted work!
Theatre is a long-time passion of Timothée de Fombelle: when he was just a seventeen year-old teenager, he founded his own theatre company, for which he wrote and staged plays. As a playwright, his works are often intimate, asking questions about the feelings of loss, vulnerability. His debut play, Le Phare (2002), won the Prix Souffleur; another one, Je Danse Toujours, was featured at the Festival d’Avignon’s opening. He has also written some comedy, notably Rose Cats.
However, it is arguably as a novelist for young readers that de Fombelle has experienced the most success. His two-part novels Tobie Lolness and Vango were well-liked by the public and the critics, winning a good deal of literary prizes along the way. The Book of Pearl, published in France in 2014, is a tale of exile and resistance, and above all a love story; it also got an enthusiastic response. De Fombelle says he cherishes these books because they allowed him to “recover his freedom”, the carefree and adventurous spirit of a child. These aren’t books he writes thinking “what would make the kids happy?”, rather he writes them for himself instead of pandering to preconceptions of what children and teenagers enjoy.
English-speaking readers of this blog will be delighted to learn that Timothée de Fombelle’s novels have all been translated in English by veteran translators Sarah Ardizzone and Sam Gordon, with some financial help from the Book Office’s very own Burgess translation programme for Vango and The Book of Pearl! All three of them discussed the translations during an event hosted by Free Word, and you can listen to their conversation here. If you have been diligently reading our blog, you will recall that Sarah Arizzone will be taking part in several events at the Edinburgh International Festival with other writers and illustrators (Barroux, Bessora, Guène) beloved of the Book Office. As for Timothée de Fombelle, he has been invited to this year’s edition of the South Ken Kids Festival!
Do have a look at de Fombelle's books, published by Walker Books, as they're well worth it:
"Toby’s world is under greater threat than ever before. A giant crater has been dug right into the centre of the Tree, moss and lichen invade the branches, and one tyrant controls it all. Leo Blue, once Toby’s best friend, now his worst enemy, is holding Elisha prisoner, hunting the Grass People with merciless force, capturing all who stand in his way, inflicting a life of poverty and fear. But returning after several years among the Grass People, Toby will fight back. And this time he’s not alone. A resistance is forming…"
"In a world between wars, Vango is on the cusp of taking priestly vows when he is suddenly made a fugitive. Fleeing from the police who blame him for murder, as well as more sinister forces with darker intentions, Vango attempts to trace the secrets of his shrouded past and prove his innocence before all is lost. This is a breathless and highly cinematic story that follows Vango from Scotland to the Soviet Union and from the rooftops of Paris to Nazi Germany. Centred on a mysterious, unforgettable, and romantic protagonist, Vango tells a thrilling story sure to captivate lovers of daring escapades and subversive literary heroes."
"The thrilling conclusion to the gripping mystery adventure series by highly original and award-winning author, Timothee de Fombelle. Vango has been in danger for as long as he can remember and he has spent his life jumping across rooftops, fleeing to mysterious islands to evade capture. But Vango will not run for much longer. The mystery of his past has started to unravel, and now, in the shadow of a rapidly changing world, Vango will face those who have haunted him for so long and finally find his true identity."
"A compelling story of a first love that defines a lifetime; perfect for fans of David Levithan, told with the intricate and beautiful writing style of bestselling author Timothee de Fombelle. Joshua Pearl is from a world that our own no longer believes in. He knows that his great love is waiting for him in that distant place, but he is trapped in our time. As his memories begin to fade, he discovers strange objects, tiny fragments of a story from a long time ago. Can Joshua remember the past and believe in his own story before his love is lost for ever?"