JK Rowling's 'Legion d'honneur' acceptance speech
Yesterday we told you that JK Rowling had been bestowed the title of "Knight" and inducted into France's prestigious "Legion d'honneur," the ceremony for which took place in Paris' Elysee presidential palace. French president Nicolas Sarkozy welcomed the author into the Legion, and Jo then made a speech in French (pictures, video).Below is the full translation of Jo's speech (thanks to Clementine):
Mr President, Ladies and Gentlemen, please forgive my accent and all the
grammar mistakes that I am about to make. My French is rusty, although I
taught it in Scotland many years ago - but I remember enough of it to be
ashamed of my mistakes. First I would like to thank you from the bottom of
my heart for granting me this distinction - it is both extraordinary and
unexpected. I cannot say I think I truly deserve it, but the Legion
d'Honneur has a very special and personal significance to me, as I shall
soon explain. That said, the perspective of visiting the Elysee [the
Presidential palace] and of meeting the President [Nicolas Sarkozy] was
enough to convince me to take on your invitation. I am particularly glad to
obtain this medal in front of young French fans, for their deep attachment
to the series and their many letters have made me happy for years.
As I told you, the Legion d'Honneur carries very special and personal
connotations in my life. My great-grandfather was a Frenchman; his name was
Louis Volant, and he obtained the Legion d'Honneur in 1924 for his courage
in Verdun. Evidently, my own merit is in no way comparable to the bravery
of someone who would sacrifice his life or endure severe injuries in the
name of freedom and justice. However, Louis is an ancestor that I have
always been proud of. I would like to believe that he would be happy to
know there is a second Legion d'Honneur in the family, and that the books
written by his descendent have been enjoyed in his native country. I would
like to take advantage of this opportunity to express my gratitude to
Gallimard [French publisher of HP series]; thank you for supporting Harry
and her creator. Gallimard was the first foreign publisher of the Harry
Potter books, thus holding a very special place in my heart. I would also
like to thank my French readers for not resenting me for giving a French
name to the villain in my books. I can assure you no anti-French feeling is
the reason for this choice. I am a francophile and have always been proud
of it, but I needed a name evoking both power and exoticism. Sadly, I have
to tell you that Voldemort himself is 100% English. I doubt that any of my
next books will ever have the success of Harry Potter, which went beyond my
wildest dreams. I am very happy with this success and my greatest pride is
to think that thanks to Harry, children have discovered the pleasure of
reading. I will never forget the years when the books were published. They
were the most extraordinary years of my life and an evening like this
confirms, once again, the magical transformation that Harry Potter has
performed in the life of her author. Mr President, thank you again for this
immense honour. It will be a very precious memory for me, as will this
beautiful evening. Thank you.
connotations in my life. My great-grandfather was a Frenchman; his name was
Louis Volant, and he obtained the Legion d'Honneur in 1924 for his courage
in Verdun. Evidently, my own merit is in no way comparable to the bravery
of someone who would sacrifice his life or endure severe injuries in the
name of freedom and justice. However, Louis is an ancestor that I have
always been proud of. I would like to believe that he would be happy to
know there is a second Legion d'Honneur in the family, and that the books
written by his descendent have been enjoyed in his native country. I would
like to take advantage of this opportunity to express my gratitude to
Gallimard [French publisher of HP series]; thank you for supporting Harry
and her creator. Gallimard was the first foreign publisher of the Harry
Potter books, thus holding a very special place in my heart. I would also
like to thank my French readers for not resenting me for giving a French
name to the villain in my books. I can assure you no anti-French feeling is
the reason for this choice. I am a francophile and have always been proud
of it, but I needed a name evoking both power and exoticism. Sadly, I have
to tell you that Voldemort himself is 100% English. I doubt that any of my
next books will ever have the success of Harry Potter, which went beyond my
wildest dreams. I am very happy with this success and my greatest pride is
to think that thanks to Harry, children have discovered the pleasure of
reading. I will never forget the years when the books were published. They
were the most extraordinary years of my life and an evening like this
confirms, once again, the magical transformation that Harry Potter has
performed in the life of her author. Mr President, thank you again for this
immense honour. It will be a very precious memory for me, as will this
beautiful evening. Thank you.
Posted by Ciaran on Feb 4th |
28 Comments
 
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