Madam, - I read with great interest the report "Beckett centenary festival set for April" in your edition of March 1st. I was impressed by the variety of planned events, some of them in French, with the help of the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism, to which I would like to express my gratitude.
As a matter of fact, Samuel Beckett's birthday is being celebrated this year in Dublin, London, New York, Tokyo and Paris. The festivities in Paris will take place in the autumn with many events, theatre, film, visual arts, broadcasting, music, exhibitions - including a major one at the Centre Georges Pompidou. The Centre Culturel des Irlandais is also organising a series of autumn events in Paris. Shall I add that when "Paris Beckett 2006/2007" was launched at the Café de Flore last November, Pierre Chabert, one of its artistic directors and a Beckettian actor, didn't fail to mention all the other celebrations running this year?
The recognition of Beckett's genius first came in France. Its most famous play, Waiting for Godot, was refused by several theatres and the first to accept it, in 1953, was the Théâtre de Babylone, where the play was an enormous success before going to London and the US shortly afterwards.
The life and work of Samuel Beckett are too well known to need reminding of, but I would like to mention in passing the role of Beckett in the French Resistance. Beckett was not only "an intellectual" who wrote directly in French. He was a man of courage, who stood facing danger.
He belongs now to each and every person as a universal creator. We are extremely happy and honoured to share with Ireland and others the privilege of commemorating the centenary of Samuel Beckett. - Yours, etc,
FRÉDÉRIC GRASSET,
Ambassador of France,
Dublin.