“Why Interculturality?”—Interview with Jean-Marie Gustave le Clézio

Abstract

In 2008, the Nobel Academy attributed the Nobel Prize for literature to Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio as an “author of new departures, poetic adventure, and sensual ecstasy, explorer of humanity beyond and below the reigning civilization.” As a writer committed to transcribe the poetic mystery of humanity and world cultures, his work can be seen as one that mirrors the Interculturality of our modern world. In the wake of the twenty-first century, “Interculturality” denotes the proportional relationship between the interaction of disparate cultures and the resulting mental, verbal, and creative dialogues. It is a term that lies at the heart of numerous disciplines across the humanities, arts, and sciences with the objective of examining the expression and consequences of cultural encounters and dialogues on individuals and cultural expression. In this exclusive interview, J.M.G. Le Clézio shares his thoughts on the importance of Interculturality, the role of the writer in the promotion of Interculturality, and his upcoming residency at the University of Nanjing in China. At the end of the interview, J.M.G. Le Clézio's creative essay, “Some candid thoughts on Interculturality,” questions the meaning of culture and its role in today's society. Particularly, the author underlines the important role of language and literature in the promotion of Interculturality, a heightened understanding of others and, in the end, peace.