During the big launch of the third issue of FELmag, which took place on Thursday, July 16 at the National Book Directorate (DNL), the president of the Haitian Creole Academy (AKA), scholar Rosilia François Corneille, renewed the institution’s commitment to continue supporting the FEL Caribbean Association in promoting the Creole language and literature.
During the big launch of the third issue of FELmag, which took place on Thursday, July 16 at the National Book Directorate (DNL), the president of the Haitian Creole Academy (AKA), academician Rosilia François Corneille, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to continue supporting the FEL Caribbean Association in promoting the Creole language and literature. In her speech, she praised the work FEL has been doing since 2019. The academician highlighted Haiti’s historical responsibility to value the Creole language, and she took the opportunity to call on young people to continue producing knowledge and literature in their mother tongue.
Today, at the moment when the leaders of the FEL Caribbean Association are officially launching the third issue of the International Creole Literature Festival magazine, the Haitian Creole Academy is renewing its promise to always stand strong with FEL so that this wonderful work can continue, work that keeps showing the great potential Haiti has as the largest Creole-speaking community in the world, if we truly choose to unite our energy in the interest of the Creole language and literature. Yes. Haiti has a historic responsibility to promote and value the Creole language and literature. This historic responsibility is not only about ensuring the linguistic rights of all Haitians across Haiti, but also about developing solid cultural exchange relationships with other Creole-speaking areas in the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean.
Today, July 16, 2026, marks the launch of the 3rd issue of FELmag. Next December will be the 8th edition of the International Creole Literature Festival. At the Haitian Creole Academy, we salute with constant reverence and determination the FEL officials who are working in the difficult socio-political context we all know. Our presence today, members of the press, people from various backgrounds, officials from both state and private institutions, is further proof that FEL’s work can always gain more support. It is also proof that our country Haiti is not doomed, cannot be doomed as long as there is a single person and a single institution standing to promote what is positive. What is good. What is valuable to get us back on track with our identity.
In December 2025, the 7th edition of the International Creole Literature Festival featured Martinican Creole writer Josette Burlet – Miatékéla and writer, academic Pauris Jean-Baptiste. We’re happy to see these two personalities on the cover of this year’s FELmag. To say a few words about Pauris Jean-Baptiste, let’s start by recalling that he was the first president of the Haitian Creole Academy, from 2014 to 2018. He is one of the Haitian writers who has published the most novels in Creole. In 1985, he won the Deschamps Prize for the novel ‘Nan lonbray inosans’. The Haitian Creole Academy is launching a documentary project about his life, commitment, and major works. And, in collaboration with Editions Deschamps, we will reissue the novel ‘Nan lonbray inosans’.
To finish, the Haitian Creole Academy is sending a message to the youth of Haiti: ‘No matter where we are in the national territory, the future of the Creole language and literature is in our hands. Produce in the language. Don’t stop producing in the language. Don’t hesitate to put what we learn in other languages into our mother tongue. Don’t hesitate to produce all kinds of knowledge in Creole.’
Long live FEL, for a scientific Creole and a flourishing literary Creole!
Rosilia François Corneille
