Renowned Haitian painter and writer Jean-Pierre Basilic Dantor Franck Étienne d’Argent (better known as Frankétienne) passed away this year, on February 20, 2025. Co-sponsored by Duke Romance Studies Department and Center for French and Francophone Studies (CFFS), Duke University will host “A Tribute to Frankétienne” [Omaj pou Frankétienne] on April 17, 2025, from 3:30 to 5:00pm (ET). The event will be available in both in-person and virtual format. The in-person tribute takes place at 103 Allen Building, West Campus, Duke University (Durham, North Carolina). For online attendance, see links below.
Description: We invite you to join us for a special literary commemoration honoring the life and work of renowned Haitian writer Frankétienne. As the creator of the influential spiralist movement, Frankétienne distinguished himself as a writer, painter, musician, and teacher. His groundbreaking novel Dézafi (1975) made history as the first full-length novel written entirely in Haitian Creole.
A ROUNDTABLE WITH FELWINE SARR, JACQUES PIERRE, DEBORAH JENSON, UNGLID PAUL, AND MICHAELLE VILMONT.
This roundtable will feature thoughtful reflections on Frankétienne’s remarkable contributions to Haitian literature and global cultural discourse. Join us to explore the legacy of one of Haiti’s most celebrated cultural figures.
Please note that For virtual participants: The online session will begin at 3:45 PM (We will have a playlist of Haitian music playing from 3:30 – 3:45 pm)
Please click here to register: https://forms.gle/omJfFJhB2MPNwREn8
For more information, see https://romancestudies.duke.edu/events/tribute-franketienne-hommage-franketienne-omaj-pou-franketienne
Renowned Haitian painter and writer Jean-Pierre Basilic Dantor Franck Étienne d’Argent (better known as Frankétienne) passed away this year, on February 20, 2025. Co-sponsored by Duke Romance Studies Department and Center for French and Francophone Studies (CFFS), Duke University will host “A Tribute to Frankétienne” [Omaj pou Frankétienne] on April 17, 2025, from 3:30 to
