Paulette Poujol Oriol would have turned one hundred if she were still alive (May 12, 1926 – May 12, 2026). A major figure in art and culture in Haiti, Paulette left us a rich and fascinating legacy.
Born on May 12, 1926, in Port-au-Prince (Haiti), Paulette Poujol Oriol had an academic journey marked by success. Returning from Paris with her family at the age of six, Paulette continued her education at the École normale supérieure in Port-au-Prince before studying in Jamaica at the London Institute of Commerce and Business Administration.
Paulette’s Passion for Teaching
Paulette Poujol Oriol had a passion for teaching. She worked as an English teacher at her father’s institute and as a French teacher at Collège Saint François d’Assise. She also taught courses in Anglo-Saxon culture and literature at Quisqueya University in Port-au-Prince. Additionally, she served as a member of the literary jury for the Henri Deschamps Prize.
Besides her passion for teaching, Paulette has built herself a brilliant artistic career over the years. An actress from a very young age, Paulette Poujol Oriol founded the Piccolo Teatro, where she taught theater to children. She has directed several plays and was in charge of the Theater department at the National School of Arts (1983-1991).
Her passion for literature
As an author, the educator has published several works in a variety of literary genres: novels, essays, short stories… She has published two novels: Le Creuset and Le Passage. Port-au-Prince: Le Natal, 1996; a new edition revised by the author. She is also responsible for several short story collections: Les fantômes Philomène (collective), La Fleur rouge (short story collection), “Oresca”. Boutures 1.4 (March-August 2001).We should also mention Madan Marye and seven other short stories, not forgetting her play titled Trou-soleil, unpublished, and “Fleur rouge,” a short story by Paulette Poujol-Oriol, read by Marc Roger on his album Lecteur public. Moreover, Paulette Poujol-Oriol has written and published numerous articles in the press and has written prefaces for many literary, sociological, and feminist works.
Paulette Poujol-Oriol has also devoted herself to women’s causes. As a feminist, she was active for fifty years in several associations, including the Ligue Féminine d’Action Sociale, where she served as president.
Her distinguished workSuccessful author, her novel The Crucible was awarded the Henri Deschamps Prize in 1980; her short story collection “The Red Flower” received the Best Short Story Prize (RFI-Le Monde) in 1988; the short story “Madan Marié” won the Third Jacques-Stephen Alexis Prize for short stories in 1995, and the Governors of the Dew of the Book and Literature Prize was awarded to her in 2001 by the Ministry of Culture.
Paulette Poujol Oriol passed away on March 11, 2011, in Port-au-Prince, at the age of 85. In this year that marks the centenary of her birth, her name still resonates, and her work remains an endless source of inspiration for present and future generations.
