The Goncourt Award Finalist Makenzy Orcel, talks about his sources of inspiration, during the panel organized by the International Publishing Book Fair, in Rabat on May 14th, 2024.

“If I don’t write, I don’t know what would I do else”,  the Haïtian writer and poet Makenzy Orcel doesn’t see himself working in any other professional field. Writing gives him freedom and allows him to work anywhere he wishes. “On the train, the plain, the streets, or even in bars, especially when you’re a person who likes to party.” he added.

Of all the human causes, Makenzy Orcel gets his inspiration from the very simple people’s life. The people who are satisfied with what they have, not caring about what others think of them and maintaining a monotonous routine, are a source of great illumination for him. He likes recounting their stories because nobody does. he likes observing them to know how life drove them to where they are.

Like any other poet, Makenzy Orcel expresses his admiration for classical poets and poetry, especially Charles Baudelaire. He considers Baudelaire a daring poet, who writes about all the “frightening” topics. He also discovered Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry through Baudelaire, the poet of nostalgic stories, who makes his readers find the dark side of things.