Josaphat-Robert Large (born on November 15, 1942 in Jérémie, Haïti) is a Haitian-American poet, novelist and art critic. His novel Les terres entourées de larmes [Shore surrounded with tears] won the prestigious Prix littéraire des Caraïbes (Caribbean literary Prize) in 2003. He was nominated for the Haitian grand Literary Prize of 2004, together with Edwidge Danticat, René Depestre, Frankétienne, Gary Klang, Dany Laferrière and Leslie Manigat (Ex President of Haiti, the winner of the Prize). Large was also one of the finalist at the Ushant' (Ouessant in French) Literary Contest in 2002.[1]. He writes in both French and Haitian Creole. Josaphat-Robert Large is a member of " La Société des Gens de Lettres de France" (Society of French intellectuals), of the "Association des Écrivains de langue française" (Association of writers of french origin) and of the PEN Club America. Josaphat-Robert Large's work is becoming more and more important in the French literary world. The Society of french and francophone teachers of America has organized two colloquium on his literary production (specially his novels), one at Florida International University in 2001 and one at Fordham University in 2006. [2]. Large also participated in the famous festival Étonnants-Voyageurs in 2007 [3] and in 2008, he was one of the author in the great literary opening organized in Port-au-Prince by the Presses Nationales d'Haiti (National Press of Haiti).
Josaphat-Robert Large left Haiti at the end of 1963,after being arrested during a student strike against the regime of Papa Doc Duvalier. In New York, he studied English at Columbia University and photography at New York institute of Photography. He is a founding member of La Troupe de Théâtre Kouidor (Theatre group Kouidor) and frequently writes for Haitian Newspapers such as Haiti Progres, Haïti-en- Marche, le Nouvelliste and Lire Haiti.
Eko Dlo [LaGrandans debòde] — Poems in Creole with background music by Haitian pianist Eddy Prophète, Montréal, 2006
5 Années de Textes et de Chansons des Vendredis littéraires, Poems in French and in Creole by Frankétienne, Lyonel Trouillot, Claude Pierre and Josaphat-Robert Large, August 2000.
Prix littéraire des Caraïbes 2003 [Caribbean literary Prize] given by L'Association des Ecrivains de langue française (The Association of French writers)
Finaliste Concours Ouessant, 2002 (Finalist Ushant literary contest, in August 2002).
Nominated for Haitian Grand Literary Prize in 2004, at the Miami Book Fair International of 2004.
Finaliste Carbet Prize 2008 with Novel Partir sur un coursier de nuages
Entretien avec Anthony Phelps (Talk with Anthony Phelps (in French): [5]
Bèl Fanm mewn an (Reading of a poem in creole by the author)[6]
La Plus Belle ! (Reading of a poem in French by the author) [7]
Entretien avec Gary Klang (Talk with Gary Klang (in French)): [8]
Josaphat-Robert Large answers to the 5 questions of Île en île [9]. A 33 minutes interview with professor Thomas C. Spear of CUNY, at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, on December 9, 2009. [10]
Open Gate, An anthology of Haitian Creole Poetry,[11] by Paul Laraque and Jack Hirschman, Curbstone Press, Willimantic, Connecticut, 2001. Literary criticism.
Anthologie de la poésie haïtienne,[A Century of Haitian poets], by Rodney Saint-Eloi and Lyonel Trouillot, Mémoire d'encrier [12]Montréal, 2003.Literary criticism
Figures d'Haïti, [35 Poets for our time], by Jacques Rancourt, Le Temps des Cerises. [13] Paris, 2005. Essay
Who is Who In Haitian Diaspora, Féquière Vilsaint & Maude Heurtelou, [14] EducaVision, Coconut Creek, 2008. Essay
Josaphat-Robert Large, la Fragmentation de l'être,[15] editor: Frantz-Antoine Leconte, l'Harmattan, Paris, February 2009. Essay.
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