Paol Keineg

Paol Keineg (born February 6, 1944) is a Breton writer and poet born in Quimerc'h (Brittany).

He worked in several places in Brittany as a supervisor before becoming a teacher in Morlaix. He was fired without any official reason in 1972, because of his political activism in the pursuit of autonomy for Brittany. He was one of a group of people who founded the Union démocratique bretonne in 1964. His first book of poetry was published in 1967 and his first play was performed in 1972 : Le Printemps des Bonnets Rouges (The Spring of the Red Bonnets) about an historical revolt in Brittany. It was directed by Jean-Marie Serreau.

In the mid-1970s he moved to California, and in 1977 started a Ph.D. at Brown University, graduating in 1981. He taught French and literature in Dartmouth College, Brown University, and later at Duke University, after being invited to teach at Berkeley and Harvard universities.

In 1975, he created the review called "Bretagnes", published in Morlaix, where were published one of the first poems written by Rita Dove. In 1983, he created the review called "Poésie-Bretagne" (Poetry-Brittany). He writes his books in Breton, French and English languages.

He received the Prix Féneon in 1974. The Prix Max Jacob in 2015 for Mauvaise langues and the prix de poésie Yves Cosson for the totality of his work in 2020.

He is the father of Katell Keineg.

Books "Scènes de la vie cachée en Amérique, Les Hauts-Fonds, 2021 "Korriganiques, (with paintings by Nicolas Fedorenko), éditions Folle avoine, 2019. "Johnny Onion descend de son vélo, Les Hauts-Fonds, 2019 "Un enterrement dans l'île" (in French), translations of Hugh MacDiarmid, Les Hauts Fonds, 2016 Qui? (in French), translations of R.S. Thomas with Marie-Thérèse Castay and Jean-Yves Le Disez, Les Hauts Fonds, 2015 Mauvaises langues (in French), Obsidiane, 2014 Histoires vraies/Mojennoù gwir/Histórias verícas (in Portuguese), translations by Ruy Proença, Dobra Editorial, 2014 Abalamour (in Breton and French), drawings by François Dilasser, Les Hauts Fonds, 2012 Les trucs sont démolis (in French), Le Temps qu'il fait/Obsidiane, 2008 "Wiersze Bretonskie" (in Polish), translations by Kazimierz Brakoniecki, Olsztyn/Centrum Polsko-Francuskie, 2007 Là et pas là (in French), Le temps qu'il fait/Lettres sur cour, 2005 Terre lointaine (in French), Éditions Apogée, 2004 Triste Tristan, suivi de Diglossie, j'y serre mes glosses (in French), Éditions Apogée, 2003 Anna Zero (in French), Éditions Apogée, 2002 Dieu et madame Lagadec (in French), Scorff's editions, 2001 A Cournille (in French), Dana editions, 1999 Tohu (in English), Wigwam editions, 1995 Silva return, Maurice Nodeau and Guernica (in English) (Montreal), 1989 Oiseaux de Bretagne, oiseaux d'Amérique (in French), Obsidiane, 1984 Préfaces au Gododdin (in French), Bretagnes editions, 1981 Boudica, Taliesin et autres poèmes (in French), Maurice Nadeau, 1980 35 haiku (in Breton), Bretagne editions, 1978 Lieux communs, suivi de Dahut (in French), Gallimard editions, 1974 (won Prix Fénéon, 1974) Histoires vraies/Mojennoù gwir (in French and Breton), P.J. Oswald, 1974 Le printemps des Bonnets Rouges (in French), P.J. Oswald, 1972 Chroniques et croquis des villages verrouillés (in French), P.J. Oswald, 1971 Hommes liges des talus en transes (in French), P.J. Oswald, 1969 Le poème du pays qui a faim (in French), Traces, 1967, Bretagne editions, 1982

Plays

His plays are all in French.

Le printemps des Bonnets Rouges, Théâtre de la Tempête, directed by Jean-Marie Serreau, December 1972- January 1973. (Manque d')aventures en Pathogénie, France-Culture, directed by Jean Taromi, 1983. La Reine de la nuit, Théâtre du Miroir, Châteaulin, Finistère, 1992. Kaka, ou l'Entrevue céleste, in La Nuit des naissances, Théâtre de Folle Pensée, Saint-Brieuc, 1994. Anna Zéro. Gwengolo (Tombées de la nuit), directed by Michel Jestin, Rennes, 2002. Terre lointaine, Théâtre de Folle Pensée, directed by Annie Lucas, Quimper, 2004.