Jean Hatzfeld

I am reading two books on Rwanda, Life Laid Bare: The Survivors in Rwanda Speak and Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak. Both of these books, each revealing a different side of the Rwandan genocide, were written by Jean Hatzfeld.

Jean Hatzfeld has written many books and articles including the two books mentioned above, The Antelope's Strategy: Living in Rwanda After the Genocide, Into the Quick Life: The Rwandan Genocide-The Survivors Speak, History of Ancient Greece, Living Labour: Life on the Line at Peugeot France, A Time for Machetes, and many more. He has also written many magazine and newspaper articles. His works of literature have been translated from French into many different languages, including English and German. He has been an international reporter for Liberation since 1973 but he has also written for L'Autre Journal, Geo, Rolling Stones, and Autrement. He has also directed four TV documentaries.

Hatzfeld started his career traveling through Eastern Europe as a special correspondent and war reporter. He covered many major events including the beginning of Solidarnosc (a Polish non-governmental trade union) to the fall of the Berlin Wall. He also wrote about the "Velvet Revolution" in Czechoslovakia (which was a non-violent revolution that tried to overthrow the Communist government) and the fall of the Ceausescu government in Romania. (Ceausescu was the communist dictator of Romania until a revolution and coup took him out of power). Since the end of the 1970's until recently, he has worked in the Middle East in mainly war affected countries. Some of these countries include Lebonon, Israel, and Iraq. He spent three of these years living in the countries of Former Yugoslavia, between Vukovar and Sarajevo. He was critically injured in Sarajevo by a Kalashnikov salvo (an assault rifle). Some other countries that he lived and worked in were Iran, Haiti, Congo, Burundi, and Algeria.

In 1994, the year of the Rwandan massacre, Hatzfeld went to Rwanda to find information and give a report on what had happened there and the aftermath. He originally went to Rwanda for Liberation magazine, but he ended up writing many different articles and several books on this country and its tragedies and triumphs. Eventually he gave up daily journalism and focused on researching the genocide that took place there. His books on the Rwandan genocide have won many awards (including Prix Culture 2000, Prix Pierre Mille, Prix France Culture, Prix Femina, and the Prix Jossef Kessel) and he has sold thousands of copies to curious and intrigued readers.

I greatly respect Jean Hatzfeld because he has done what many people are afraid to do. He has had the strength, courage, and curiosity to find the suppressed truth in these suppressed countries. By sharing people's stories, he has helped impact the world. The stories that he has helped give to the world (he is essentially the "middle man") have and will continue to influence and educate other. I know that his writing has influenced my desires. I wish to see these places that he describes in his novels, so I can truly see and genuinely try to feel what the Rwandan people went through. I think Hatzfeld's life and works of literature are fascinating.

Hatzfeld's personal life is related to many of the Rwandan people. His Jewish parents had to flee the wrath of the Nazis and moved to Madagascar (just like many of the Tutsies had to flee from the Hutus). This is where Hatzfeld was born, but he and his family eventually moved back to their hometown in the Auvergne region. The Rwandan people and the genocide they suffered in 1994 has greatly influenced Hatzfeld's life. He currently spends his time between Rwanda and Paris. He spends most of his time writing and documenting about the people of Rwanda and their situation.

Sources:
http://www.lettre-ulysses-award.org/authors04/hatzfeld.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Solidarityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velvet_revolution