Writing the Mists of Memory

Henri Michaux (Namur, 1899 – Paris, 1984) and Nicolas Bouvier (Geneva, 1929-1998) are two travellers who write about their experiences between the real and the imaginary Their narrative are the fruit of complex and dynamic processes that deal in first instance with memory. In this paper, I propose to analyse the metamorphosis motivated by some journeys of the writers, enhancing the difficulties, often the pain, inherent to the act of writing. Firstly, we will look into the travelling and analyse how stories come to life, in which context and with which motivations, pointing out the differences between the physical and geographical journeys and those that are more mental and imaginative. Afterwards, we will look into the threads of memory and the necessary presence of forgetfulness as survival but also as a sphere for creativity in the appropriation and transformation of time and space. Finally, we will look into the challenge and resistance of both writers to the boundaries imposed by language and memory, understanding how mental geographies look for constant deterritorialisations.