Aimé Césaire, a Global Movement, and a Favor!
In this post, I write about a man I discovered when researching my second novel, To Catch a Traitor. He was tremendously influential, and I think about this guy all the time.
I also write about the retailer who’s shown me the most support! I didn’t know until recently, and now that I do, I have to share.
BTW, my first book, To Catch a Spy, is available by clicking here.
Let’s dive in!
Martinique
Aimé Césaire was a world-famous poet, philosopher, author, and politician.
He was born on June 13th, 1913 in Basse-Pointe, Martinique, and while growing up, he lived a normal, middle class life.
Aimé Césaire
By his own account, he was unpredictable, impulsive, and explosive, much like the nearby volcano at Mount Pelée. Read my May 2025 posting for more on that volcano…
When Aimé got older, he attended secondary school in the capital city of Fort-de-France, but disliked it immensely due to the bigotry and racism he encountered.
Aimé then attended college in Paris, where he met Léopold Sédar Senghor and Léon Damas. They became fast friends, and the three of them often discussed the plight of black people. The three young men started a publication while in school, and in one of the issues, Aimé first used the word Négritude. That led to the creation of the Négritude movement, which was wildly influential.
Leo
By the way, Léopold went on to become the President of Sengal, and Léon was elected to the French National Assembly (the lower house of the French Parliament). Imagine those guys; not a slacker among them!
Leon
Three Incredible Friends
What is/was Négritude? To be clear, Aimé created the word; he took a French slur and made it into a word honoring black culture. But it was so much more than that. At its core, it was a movement that raised awareness of, and pride in, black consciousness. It was centered on literary and philosophical theory, and its advocates included intellectuals (mostly French), writers, and eventually, politicians. And it all started with Aimé!
It also spawned several different movements around the world, including the ‘Black is Beautiful’ cultural trend in the U.S.
Anyway, Aimé became a renowned writer (see ‘Discourse on Colonialism’), philosopher, and politician. In 1945, with the support of the French Communist Party, he was voted in as the Mayor of Fort-de-France, and also elected to the French National Assembly.
By 1956, he was disillusioned with the communist party; in a very public split, he left and formed his own political party, the Parti Progressiste Martiniquais, which thrives to this day.
All in all, the guy was amazing! His influence is global, and the world is a much better place thanks to him. Aimé Césaire was a true national hero of Martinique and a fascinating man, and I will absolutely have him in my novel, To Catch a Traitor.
My World
My Big Supporter!
I have a favor…
I often ask my publisher what I can do to help. I get the normal responses; present to book clubs, library groups, post on social media, etc. And I do all that.
This last time, I got a different response -- could I support my book’s availability through Barnes & Noble. Apparently, they are great supporters of mine.
And it’s true; Barnes & Noble has been wonderful to me. Almost all of my book signings have been at B&N stores (over a dozen), and most have asked me to come back a second time, or more. Of course, I always say YES.
They have been fantastic, and apparently they’re fans of To Catch a Spy. I didn’t know that, but I really want to support them.
So that’s my ask -- if you’re thinking of getting someone a gift, consider getting them To Catch a Spy from a nearby Barnes & Noble.
Or, if friends are interested, please steer them to their nearest B&N store.
