Marie Papier

Born and educated in the French language, Marie Papier has published poems, flash fiction and three novels in French under her maiden name Marie-José Piguet for which she received the Prix Georges Nicole and the prix Alpes-Jura for her first novel and the Prix Schiller for her second novel. 

She has lived in England since the seventies where she studied poetry at the London Poetry School (LPS). Her poems have been published with Arvon/Daily Telegraph (under Marie-José Knight), and under Marie Papier in The North, Agenda, Stand, The Lighthouse, South Bank Poetry, Ink Sweat & Tears, Orbis & others. She has written in anthologies with The Poetry Business/Smith-Doorstop: The Result is what you see Today and Indigo Dreams’ ‘Voices for the Silent’ (League against cruel sports).

From Bristol Stanza Poets, where she is a member, in four anthologies: Calix; The Weather Indoors –  Pandemic Poetry; Walking Words – Poetry Walks in Bristol’s Past and Present; Bonds – Lyra Poetry Festival & Poets’ Walk in Clevedon. And online in Culture Matters: A-Fish-rots-from-the-Head.

She has published literary essays for the French Department at Exeter University and has studied for on an MPhil on the Sacré in the work of French Swiss novelist Catherine Colomb. 

Some of her favourite writers & poets today are Moniza Alvi, Marie Howe, Linda Pastan, some Amichai Yehuda and Miroslaw Holub, RS Thomas and many others. 

Her early models in French were St. Exupéry, Colette, Jacques Prévert.

Her interests include nature, psychology, theology, human relationship, music and art. She sang in University & College choirs in Exeter for 30 years  and now enjoys her garden in Bristol and writing poetry.