Boris Gamaleya

Biography

Born in 1931 in Saint-Denis, Réunion, Boris Gamaleya is one of the major poets of the French-speaking Indian Ocean. Trained as a philosophy teacher, he rooted his work in the dual tradition of négritude and Réunion créolité. His first collection, “Vali pour une reine morte” (Vali for a Dead Queen, 1973), immediately established itself as a founding text of contemporary Réunion literature: the title borrows from the “vali”, a Malagasy song of mourning, and the whole collection explores the African, Malagasy and Indian roots of Réunion society.

He went on to publish “Feu de Cases” (1979), “L'Antillaise” and several other collections that weave a coherent body of work around the Creole language, the memory of slavery and the fragile beauty of the island. Gamaleya fought tirelessly for Réunion Creole to be recognised as a fully fledged literary language rather than a mere patois. Intellectually committed, he took part in debates on Réunion identity alongside Axel Gauvin and Danyèl Waro. His work is now a reference in Indian Ocean literature.

Contribution

A major poet of contemporary Réunion literature; author of “Vali pour une reine morte” (1973) and “Feu de Cases” (1979); champion of Réunion Creole as a literary language.

Legacy

A leading figure of Indian Ocean literature; his work inspires contemporary Réunionese writers; a central voice in the debate on identity and the Creole language.