James Noël: Paons / Pfauen

30.07.2026 / 19:30 – 21:00
With James Noel

Film screening, bilingual reading, and discussion

On 30 July 2026, the Haitian poet and writer James Noël, currently a Fellow of the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program, will be a guest at the daadgalerie.

The evening opens with a screening of the 30-minute documentary James Noël – Film d’humeur, which introduces the author’s life and work through conversations with writers including Yanick Lahens, Joël Des Rosiers, Dany Laferrière, Rodney Saint-Éloi, and other long-time colleagues and companions.

Organized in cooperation with the Afro-Descendent Book Club (ABC), the event also marks the presentation of the German edition of Noël’s poetry collection Pfauen (Paons), translated by Rike Bolte. Following the film screening, James Noël and his translator will give a bilingual reading of selected poems in French and German. The reading will be followed by a discussion with the audience and a book signing.

Born in Hinche, Haiti, in 1978, James Noël writes in French and Haitian Creole. He is a poet, novelist, and performer. His novel Belle Merveille received the International Literature Award of HKW in 2020. His poetry has recently been recognized with the Prix Mallarmé and the Prix Sirène, among other distinctions.

Pfauen (Paons) explores themes of violence, memory, exile, and resistance. Haiti serves as the point of departure for poetry that engages with social and political realities while reflecting on language, identity, and hope.

In cooperation with the Afro-Descendent Book Club

Free admission

In French and German daadgalerie
Oranienstraße 161
Berlin-Kreuzber