Hédi Kaddour was born in Tunisia in 1945 but has lived in France since childhood. He has published six books of poems, including, most recently, Passage au Luxembourg (Gallimard, 2000), as well as a collection of essays on poetry, L’Emotion impossible (Le Temps qu’il fait, 1998). He lives in Paris and teaches comparative and French literature, drama, and creative writing at L’Ecole Normale Supérieure in Lyon. Other poems of his in Marilyn Hacker’s translation have appeared in numerous English-language journals including APR, The Kenyon Review, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Ploughshares, AGNI, Poetry, PN Review, Prairie Schooner, and Verse, as well as in the Faber anthology Twentieth Century French Poems.
Hédi Kaddour was born in Tunisia in 1945 but has lived in France since childhood. He has published six books of poems, including, most recently, Passage au Luxembourg (Gallimard, 2000), as well as a collection of essays on poetry, L’Emotion impossible (Le Temps qu’il fait, 1998). He lives in Paris and teaches comparative and French literature, drama, and creative writing at L’Ecole Normale Supérieure in Lyon. Other poems of his in Marilyn Hacker’s translation have appeared in numerous English-language journals including APR, The Kenyon Review, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Ploughshares, AGNI, Poetry, PN Review, Prairie Schooner, and Verse, as well as in the Faber anthology Twentieth Century French Poems.
Check out our Q&A with Laurent Binet, author of shortlisted title Perspective(s), as he discusses the inspirations behind his work and reflects on the role libraries have played in shaping his journey
VideoMay 8 2026
Ali Smith – Gliff Q&A
Shortlisted author Ali Smith discusses the creative inspirations behind Gliff and reflects on the significance of libraries throughout her reading and writing life in our latest Q&A.
VideoMay 5 2026
Magdalena Blažević – In Late Summer Q&A
Check out our Q&A with Magdalena Blažević, author of the 2026 shortlisted novel In Late Summer where she explores the influences behind the book and reflects on how libraries have shaped her life as a
VideoMay 5 2026
Éric Chacour – What I Know About You Q&A
Check out our Q&A with Éric Chacour, author of What I Know About You, as he discusses the inspirations behind his work and reflects on the role libraries have played in shaping his journey as a writer