Peter Read has recently guested on French tv and radio programmes, presenting his latest book.
Peter Read, Professor of Modern French Literature and Visual Arts at the University, was a guest, with four other authors, on the hour-long, Bibliothèque Médicis, the main literary talk show on French tv, presenting his latest book, Apollinaire Lettres calligrammes manuscrits. Hosted by Jean-Pierre Elkabbach, the programme was first broadcast on the evenings of Friday 9 and Saturday 10 December. It may be viewed on:
Peter was also guest for a 20-minute interview on the radio programme Danse des mots, recorded for the French World Service (Radio France Internationale) and first broadcast on 4 January 2017.
His new book, Apollinaire Lettres calligrammes manuscrits is a large-format, illustrated, hard-back, co-published in November 2016 by the French National Library (Bibliothèque nationale de France) and Éditions Textuel. It features colour facsimiles of over 100 manuscripts, including previously unpublished works, from private collections and public archives, covering the whole creative trajectory of the poet Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918). The manuscripts have been selected, transcribed and presented, with introductions and commentaries, by Peter Read. Apollinaire was an important war poet and this publication has been financially supported by the French government’s 1914-1918 commemorative committee (la Mission du centenaire de la Première Guerre mondiale).
The book has also received widespread coverage in the French press, where it has been described as “fascinating” and “erudite” (Le Monde), “beautiful” (Le Figaro), “superb” (Télérama), “Captivating” (Le Parisien), “dazzling” (Florilettres), “this beautiful book gives us access to fragile and fascinating treasures of national significance” (Ouest France).
Peter Read, Apollinaire Lettres calligrammes manuscrits, Paris, BnF Éditions / Textuel, 2016. 264 pp. 55 Euros. ISBN: 978-2-84597-562-0.