Francis Jammes is one of the great French poets of the early twentieth century, lauded by such  contemporaries, as Andre Gide, Anna de Noailles, Alain Fournier, Paul Claudel.  Littlefox press announces the publication of Under the Azure, poems ofFrancis Jammes translated by award winning California poet, Janine Canan.  This is the most extensice selection of Jammes's poems in English ever, and the first volume translation since the early 1970s.   Of Jammes, nobel prize writer André Gide said:  "You don't read francis Jammes, you breathe him, you inhale him .... once you have abandoned yourself to him, you will think he is the only poet there is ." Of Under the Azure and Janine Canan's translation, Andrei Codrescu (Ovidius prize winner) has written:  " Francis Jammes made music of his sorrow and delight, a music both simple and mysterious... Janine Canan makes you hear the whoosh of the angels’ wings in his poetry, a whoosh that is the same in every language, but yields only to the highest art of translation. "    Under the Azure has received the support of Readings Bookshops and praise from Readings Monthly critique Dr. Justin Clemens:  "As an enthusiast of experimental hyper-formalist poetry, I should really hate Francis Jammes...  But no description can convey the delicate dream-power of these poems, which impressed the greatest modern French writers, including Stéphane Mallarmé, Paul Claudel and André Gide...  Subtle and dizzying at once, Jammes can convert the most committed unbeliever."

15 April - St Judes Church: cnr. of Elgin and Lygon Street - 6.30pm (please book on 9347 6633)
Readings Bookshop has organised this very special event: "

"UNDER THE AZURE" English translations of The French Poet Francis Jammes by American poetess
Janine Canan in conversation with her editor at Littlefox Ms Christine Mathieu from Jammes' inspirational and deeply moving poetry.  
Kavisha Mazzella  will join  the poet to sing two poems from Jammes which she has put to music: including  Hail Mary -  Le Rosaire which inspired George Brassens ' most beloeved, moving and most famous chanson, La Prière.
Many Thanks to Christine Gordon (Readings)