This interview delves into an interdisciplinary and poetic exploration of oceanic environments. Carried by a sensitive voice and a sharp pen, Sigolène Vinson's testimony sheds light on how literature can offer a unique lens for reflecting on contemporary maritime issues.
At the research workshop Oceanic Imaginaries: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, held on April 17–18, 2024, at the Nantes Institute for Advanced Study, Sigolène Vinson, writer and former legal columnist, contributed to rich and varied discussions on the oceans as spaces of creation and thought. Her literary input, imbued with poetry and a unique perspective on the maritime world, left a lasting impression.
In this video, she reflects on the themes that resonated with her during the workshop. She delves into her intimate connection with the oceans, which she sees both as a source of artistic inspiration and as a space rich with profound symbolism: immensity, freedom, but also the environmental and human challenges they embody.
Sigolène Vinson shares her vision of the traces left by the oceans in literary narratives and collective imaginaries. She questions the physical and mental boundaries that these spaces impose or invite us to transcend, while evoking the fictional and real accounts that punctuate the history of seas and lagoons. Her reflections are part of a broader exploration of shifting lines and the interfaces between art and science, a central theme throughout the workshop.
This workshop was an initiative led by:
Sophie Halart, Professor of Art History at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, former research fellow (2022–2023), and current associate director,
Frantz Mynard, Senior Lecturer in Legal History and Deputy Director of the Centre for Maritime and Oceanic Law (CDMO) at Nantes University.
Bringing together researchers and experts from diverse fields such as law, science, arts, and literature, the workshop aimed to foster an interdisciplinary exchange on contemporary representations and oceanic imaginaries. Guided by the pioneering figures of Rachel Carson and Anita Conti, the event focused on the themes of traces, lines, and boundaries, examined through both poetic and interdisciplinary lenses.
Novels by Sigolène Vinson
J'ai déserté le pays de l'enfance (Plon, 2011)
Le Caillou (Le Tripode, 2015)
Courir après les ombres (Plon, 2015)
Les Jouisseurs (L’Observatoire, 2017)
Maritima (L’Observatoire, 2019)
La Canine de George (L’Observatoire, 2021)
La Palourde (Le Tripode, 2023)
Le Butor étoilé (Le Tripode, avril 2025)
Novels co-written with Philippe Kleinmann
Bistouri Blues (Le Masque, 2007)
Double Hélice (Le Masque, 2011)
Substance (Le Masque, 2015)
Collective Works
Les Aventures du Concierge Masqué (L'exquise Nouvelle, 2013).
Enfant, je me souviens (UNICEF / Livre de poche, 2016).
