Description :
This programme from Radio País is part of the European Tramontana Network (Réseau Tramontana / Tramontana Network), a project co-funded by the European Union that aims to preserve and promote the oral heritage, languages and cultural traditions of European mountain and rural communities. In this episode, the guest, a speaker from the Provençal region and a participant in the defence of Occitan culture, shares his personal journey with the language, literature and cultural movements that have shaped his identity.
The interview focuses first on his discovery of reading and literature. He explains that he began reading as a child and that the works of Frédéric Mistral were a decisive influence, opening the way to a deeper connection with the Provençal language. He recalls the linguistic situation of his childhood, when many rural families still spoke Occitan at home while French gradually became dominant through schooling. His testimony illustrates the decline of everyday Occitan use during the twentieth century and the challenges faced by generations who had to adapt to French-language education.
The guest also discusses the relationship between the Félibrige movement and modern Occitanism, explaining the debates surrounding the defence and recognition of Occitan as a wider linguistic community. He describes his own path from writing theatre and prose to becoming involved in organisations dedicated to Occitan culture, including the Institut d’Estudis Occitans. Through his work, he seeks to preserve a literary and cultural heritage that reflects the history, memory and identity of Provence.