Fernand Hibbert, a pillar of Haitian literature, was born 153 years ago

Born into a family of merchants in southern Haiti, Fernand Hibbert saw his youth marked by significant historical events such as the uprising led by Jean-Pierre Boyer-Bazelais in 1883. After his primary schooling in Miragoâne, he distinguished himself at the Petit Séminaire Collège Saint-Martial in Port-au-Prince.

In 1890, Fernand Hibbert left Haiti to pursue studies in France, notably at the University of Paris. He returned to Haiti in 1895 and married Marie Pescaye, a French woman he met during his time in Paris.

Fernand Hibbert began his literary career with historical essays such as "Une mulatresse, fille de Louis XIV" (1901) and "Un nègre à la Cour de Louis XIII" (1901). He is best known for his novels rooted in the realist tradition, notably Sena (1905), Les Thazar (1907), and Romulus (1908).

As a journalist, Hibbert contributed to the daily newspaper Le Soir from 1899 to 1908. There, he developed the lodyans genre, a brief and humorous narrative deeply rooted in Haitian orality.

Fernand Hibbert also distinguished himself through his political and educational commitments. Teaching at the Lycée Pétion starting in 1904, he campaigned for a national education system that valued Haiti's culture and history. His opposition to the American occupation of Haiti in 1915 marked a turning point in his diplomatic career.

Fernand Hibbert passed away on December 19, 1928, in Port-au-Prince, leaving behind a significant literary and political body of work that continues to inspire modern writers.