From the island to Paris and back, with a detour via the world, or: What does the francophone Mauritian novel of the twenty-first century look like?

Abstract

Over the last few years, Mauritian literature has been flourishing and has shown that the labels ‘postcolonial’ and ‘francophone’ have to be nuanced to remain intellectually operative. Analytical endeavours benefit from taking into account the location of these works from a ‘peripheral’ island within the francophone ‘literary system’ (Halen). Publication in France or Mauritius may then not only be related to the ‘inherent’ quality of a text, but also to a favourable position concerning editorial modes and the expectations of a Western readership, such as mastering the codes of the ‘postcolonial exotic’ (Huggan). By discussing several Mauritian novels published both locally and abroad with regard to topological aspects, ‘exoticism’, and ‘authenticity’, this article addresses issues such as: Which texts make it to the Parisian publishers, and why? When does one author move from one literary collection to another? How conscious is the text of its potential readership?’ In other words: Is there anything like the Mauritian novel of the twenty-first century?