Jacques Rabemananjara

Jacques Rabemananjara (23 June 1913 – 2 April 2005) was a Malagasy politician, playwright and poet. He served as a government minister, rising to Vice President of Madagascar. Rabemananjara was said to be the most prolific writer of his negritude generation after Senghor, and he had the first négritude poetry published. The journal was an early example of political writing pre-dating later more well-known examples of négritude.

Writing Despite his leadership of the journal, Rabemanajara was chosen in 1939 to attend a commemoration in Paris for the 150th anniversary of the French revolution. Having travelled to Paris he was able to not only gain entry to the Sorbonne

Influenced by the work of fellow Malagasy poet Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo, his early work dealt in classical alexandrian metre with the early history of Madagascar. As a journalist at this time he interviewed Ho Chi Minh including his association with the Malagasy politician Jean Ralaimongo. He was suspected of being involved in the instigation of the 1947 Malagasy Uprising, despite the fact that he had urged the rioters to be calm. He was arrested, and sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour.

He was exiled in France until Madagascar's independence in 1960. The new government under President Philibert Tsiranana asked him to join a number of ministries, He also took the post of Vice President.

Later years Rabemanajara was again exiled after the 1972 revolution, but this was his choice and he was not to return for 20 years. He died in France on April 2, 2005.

Major works

Poetry Sur les marches du soir. Gap: Ophrys, 1940. Rites millénaires. Paris: Seghers, 1955. Antsa. Paris: Présence Africaine, 1956. Lamba. Paris: Présence Africaine, 1956. Antidote. Paris: Présence Africaine, 1961. Les ordalies, sonnets d'outre-temps. Paris: Présence Africaine, 1972. Oeuvres complètes, poésie. Paris: Présence Africaine, 1978. Thrènes d'avant l'aurore: Madagascar. Paris: Présence Africaine, 1985. Rien qu'encens et filigrane. Paris: Présence Africaine, 1987.

Essays Témoignage malgache et nationalisme. Paris: Présence Africaine, 1956. Nationalisme et problèmes malgaches. Paris: Présence Africaine, 1958.

Plays Les dieux malgaches. Gap: Ophrys, 1947. Agape des dieux Tritiva: Une tragédie. Paris: Présence Africaine, 1962. Les boutriers de l'aurore. Paris: Présence Africaine, 1957.

Prizes 1988: Grand prix de la francophonie 1997: Salon de la Plume Noire (Paris, 10-12 octobre), consacré au poète Jacques Rabemananjara Member of "l'Academie Nationale des Arts, des Lettres et des Sciences de Madagascar"