Ary Leblond (Aimé Merlo)

Biography

Marius Leblond and Ary Leblond form one of the most unusual literary duos in French literature: two cousins born in Réunion in the 1870s–1880s who signed their entire body of work together under this shared pen name. Ary Leblond is the literary name of Aimé Merlo (born 1880) and Marius Leblond that of Georges Athénas (born 1877). Reunited in Paris, they became journalists, critics and novelists.

Their novel “En France” won them the Prix Goncourt in 1909, a national accolade that secured their place in literary history. Their work combines colonial narratives, descriptions of Réunion and the theorising of a French “colonial literature”. Some of their positions are now reread in the light of postcolonial studies, but their work remains a record of a Réunionese view of early 20th-century France. They also left biographies and critical essays.

Contribution

Literary duo awarded the 1909 Prix Goncourt (“En France”); novelists and critics who championed a French colonial literature from Réunion.

Legacy

The first Prix Goncourt awarded to Réunionese authors; their work is read in the context of postcolonial studies.