Estelle Coppolani
Poet and playwright
My poetic work draws from the history of Reunion Island, focusing on the aftermath of slavery and the influx of South Asian migrants after 1848. I explore how South-Indian literary traditions have influenced local dance and theater. During my residency, I aim to juxtapose Reunion's historical theater forms, like Terukkuttu and Bayalataa, which emerged during the indentured labour period, with contemporary South Indian theatrical practices that I will study.
Estelle Coppolani, a poet, playwright, and editor from Reunion Island, explores Indian Ocean literary traditions and migrations' poetic impacts. Her work advocates anticolonial ideals and mythological richness. Supported by institutions like Fondation pour la Mémoire de l’Esclavage (2021) and Mondes Nouveaux (2022), she is a 2024 resident at Cité Internationale des arts in Paris and Cité des Arts in Saint-Denis, Réunion. Estelle curated her first exhibition, "Zistwar mentèr," blending oral poetry and visual arts in the Mascarene archipelago. She contributes to the Edouard Glissant Art Fund and Les Prouesses feminist publishing house.
