Georgette Marie Philippart Travers (

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, 7 January 1908 –

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

, 1984), French writer and poet. She was the wife of the

Peruvian Peruvians (''/peruanas'') are the citizens of Peru. What is now Peru has been inhabited for several millennia by cultures such as the Caral before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. Peruvian population decreased from an estimated 5–9 ...

poet

César Vallejo César Abraham Vallejo Mendoza (March 16, 1892 – April 15, 1938) was a Peruvian poet, writer, playwright, and journalist. Although he published only two books of poetry during his lifetime, he is considered one of the great poetic innovators ...

of international fame, considered by

Mario Benedetti Mario Benedetti Farrugia (; 14 September 1920 – 17 May 2009), was a Uruguayan journalist, novelist, and poet and an integral member of the Generación del 45. Despite publishing more than 80 books and being published in twenty languages, he ...

to be a "human

paradigm In science and philosophy, a paradigm ( ) is a distinct set of concepts or thought patterns, including theories, research methods, postulates, and standards for what constitute legitimate contributions to a field. The word ''paradigm'' is Ancient ...

", while the American poet-

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

Thomas Merton Thomas Merton (January 31, 1915December 10, 1968), religious name M. Louis, was an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, Christian mysticism, mystic, poet, social activist and scholar of comparative religion. He was a monk in the Trapp ...

points out that "the project for the translation of his poetry is of an urgent and enormous importance for the entire human race."

Biography

Georgette Marie Philippart Travers, was born in

on 7 January 1908. Her parents were Alexandre Jean Baptiste Philippart and Marie Travers. When Georgette was six years old, her father died fighting off the German Army in the Battle of the Marne

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

on 7 September 1914. Before his passing, he sent a letter home, where he recognized Georgette Marie as his daughter. Because of the war, she was sent to

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

where she completed her elementary education in Vitré. She continued her secondary education in the Sevigné School in Vitré, and graduated in 1922. Upon the completion of her studies, she moved to París to work in a seamstress shop with her mother. In 1925, she began one of the most interesting moments of her life: A fortune-teller read her destiny and announced that a "Prince Charming would come from afar. He has crossed the seas. He is ugly, but is a luminary being. You will always be the first person on his mind.". The famous and long-awaited "Prince Charming" was no one less than a man, who with the passage of time would become a leader in world literature: César Abraham Vallejo Mendoza. The 31-year-old poet had come to Paris on 13 July 1923, and was writing in the "Grands journaux Ibero-Americaines," living on Molière Street, where he would first see Georgette from a window in the front of his room. Although she was only 17, she made a huge impression on him. In 1927 when

Cesar Vallejo Cesar or César may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''César'' (film), a 1936 French romantic drama * ''César'' (play), a play by Marcel Pagnolt Places * Cesar, Portugal * Cesar Department, Colombia * Cesar River, in Colombia * Cesar R ...

eventually talked to her he was much older and lived in her neighborhood. This was also the year of his first trip to

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

. The two eventually became lovers, much to the dismay of her mother. Georgette traveled with Vallejo to

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

the end of December 1930 and returned in January 1932, when she became very ill and required an operation. Back in Paris Vallejo married Georgette Philippart in 1934. She remained a controversial figure concerning the publication of Vallejo's works for many years after his death.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vallejo, Georgette 1908 births 1984 deaths 20th-century French poets 20th-century French women writers French emigrants to Peru French Anti-Francoists