By Billy Pierre, Staff Writer
What if everything had started with reading a novel? With an international contest of poetry? With the meeting of two laureates, today great friends? If the beginning of such a story seems too good to you, it’s not a fairy tale. At least, it is no longer a myth. In fact, this is the beginning of the story of Le Coquelicot (Poppy), a poetic and artistic magazine, which will be officially launched this April 11, 2019.
It was the evening of July 4th, 2017. I was accompanied by a group of twenty other American students who were taking part in this study abroad program at Université Lumière Lyon 2 (France). That evening they were going to celebrate American Independence Day in the city of Lyon, while I embarked on a train. Direction: Paris to attend the awards ceremony of the annual competition organized by Poésie-en-Liberté (PEL). This is how I met Aglaée, one of the winners of the 2017 contest. When I told her that I was one of the winners in 2011, she immediately shared with me her desire to launch the magazine. A desire that the young woman from Alsace takes to heart.
It was not the first time that the idea of beginning a literary magazine had crossed my mind. In the past, I have tried to create an organization to promote culture in general. But that did not work. It took the meeting of a young lady as motivated as Aglaée to allow this dream to finally take shape.
Courtesy: Le Coquelicot Revue
In the last two years, we have spent a lot of time on the phone planning everything. We even went to Paris together to meet publishers. A whole set of planning. And today, as a student at University Lumière Lyon 2 (coincidence or fate?), Aglaée has put together a group of six students, among whom are high-caliber designers and others who are just passionate about writing like us.
The name of the magazine is rather obvious for those who know Aglaée. It is her favorite flower that she describes as sweet, sensitive and above all omnipresent in her poems.
If this dream is the result of the effort of a group of passionate young writers, it wants to serve as a channel to all who carry the seed of writing in them. We want to promote and share poetry in all its forms, giving the possibility to whoever wishes, from here or elsewhere, to be published.
Without borders to creativity, Le Coquelicot is also a crossroads, open to young people of all nationalities and artistic horizons. The first edition of the magazine will be officially released on Thursday, April 11, 2019. However, the magazine will be on display as early as Monday the 8th in the Lyon Lumière Lyon 2 University. We invite you to join us on April 11 at 6 p.m. to meet the published artists, editors and members of the association.
Note: This Article was written with the collaboration with Aglaée Collin.