Roger Baillet is well known to L'Harmattan. First a teacher and devoted to this career where knowledge is at the center of his concerns, he devotes himself to the art of writing. But in this exercise, this atypical conversion, he injects his favorite subjects. For example, the reader will not be able to remain insensitive to his all-consuming passion for Italy, its culture, its fascinating history and its singing and delicious language. For this, the author decided to embark on the writing of several novels, some of which are historical. His strength? Play with your skills, assets and mastery of your subjects, to make them credible and entertaining stories. Indeed, if the authors are often criticized for not understanding a phenomenon enough to treat it in depth, Roger Baillet puts an end to this rumor with a bang. Thus, this doctoral student in Italian language of French nationality does not hesitate to make the most of his knowledge to make works that seem to have been written a long time ago: novels that brilliantly manipulate the times and that are not forgotten … This is the case for "Vivaldi ou l'Évanescence de l'Être", published in the Amarante collection, published in 2013. The story takes place in the eighteenth century, in Venice. The golden age is on the decline, for this fascinating and strange city, with many canals, gondolas, bridges and buried secrets. In this Italian tourist city that today suffers from ecological disasters, a female character makes her entrance. This is little Camille, who was welcomed at the Pietà. This charitable group is maintained and run by nuns. A kind of convent reserved for girls, where orphans are scholars. Indeed: this place is not only a space of contemplation, a silent monastery, it is even the opposite. Camille was introduced to the arts, including music and singing. Quickly, Camille proves to be an outstanding violinist, of a very different level from her classmates. Her master in this field is none other than the legendary composer Vivaldi himself, who takes her under his benevolent wing. The protagonist is presented with authenticity, humanity. It impresses, since the reader melts into the thought and vision of Camille — who has a tragic accident. But rather than sink into a pathetic drama of the future, the author makes a point of describing poetic scenes, where the relationship is completely detached from lies and good manners. In a context where women are bullied, they express themselves more than ever, through this art that they manage to master perfectly, while seeking to surpass themselves continuously. In another style, but with an equally remarkable passion, author Roger Baillet presents a historical novel that transcends time and will be published in February 2022. Published by Des Auteurs Des Livres, this immersion in the spirit of Alba is rich in symbolism. In this book, the writer tells the journey of the heroine, a child born in Syria, found abandoned in a church. She was sent to France, when she was just a baby. Introverted at heart, the novel exposes the painful ordeal of acceptance, when one ignores stability and above all, one grows up far from one's cradle of origin. Once again, Roger Baillet makes it a point of honor to sublimate his muses. Here, Mary Magdalene who calls herself Alba is very intelligent and particularly sensitive. Its difference is its strength. Between unlikely professional reconversions and relationships with others, the characters presented in this text all have a realistic and credible imprint, which gives the book its own identity. This adventure is unlike any other, but it mixes founding myths. Between references to Ovid's metamorphoses and travels to the end of the world, the reader is not bored for a second. Professor and now artist, Roger Baillet is prolific, because he already has many novels and books to his name. Each of his works is imbued with a leg of his own, now recognizable. It would even be interesting to imagine an adaptation of one of his works in the cinema or in the form of a play.
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