Genge Press
The Genge Press was set up by Sue Lloyd in 2003 to encourage knowledge of Rostand and his work amongst non-French speakers. We publish English versions of his plays, as well as Lloyd's literary biography of Edmond Rostand, The Man who was Cyrano, a Life of Edmond Rostand, Creator of "Cyrano de Bergerac". Our books include our own versions of La Samaritaine, Les Deux Pierrots and La Dernière Nuit de Don Juan. We are preparing an English version of Les Romanesques, due out in 2021.
There are already many good English versions of Rostand's most famous play, Cyrano de Bergerac. Yet there are few translations available of Chantecler, Rostand's most personal play, essential for understanding his philosophy. So, until another poet can offer a modern translation, Genge Press has published the original play in French, with comprehensive notes so that even those with little or no French can acquaint themselves with this wonderful play .
The play by French poet-dramatist Edmond Rostand, is famous all over the world. Edmond Rostand was born in Marseilles, France, on 1st April 1868 and died in Paris on 2nd December 1918. Genge Press set up www.cyranoandrostand.co.uk in 2018 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Edmond Rostand’s death and the 150th anniversary of his birth. We have had to change our systems provider, but we have taken this opportunity to add many new features
Edmond Rostand was a poet who wrote his plays in verse. His attitude to life was a spiritual one. He believed in the power of love to transform our lives, just as poetry transforms prose, and the sun transforms ordinary things into things of beauty.
When Rostand was received into the Académie française, he told his distinguished audience that the reason he wrote plays was to give 'lessons for the soul' (leçons d'âme). This, I believe, is why they have remained so inspiring.
The original home of Genge Press, Minehead, Somerset, England
Genge Press also publishes: From Curragh to Ketch, the Story of Minehead's Quay Town, by John Gilman and Sue Lloyd (Genge Press, 2012, 2018). Contact gengepress@btinternet.com to buy this title.
We also publish local history books for Minehead Museum. See www.mineheadmuseum.co.uk
Edmond Rostand
“I loved this book. It was informative, easy to read, and written in a clever way, revealing his life as though it were set on a stage. Sue Lloyd sheds some well-deserved light on a great poet that has gone too long without the recognition owed to him.”
Sara C. Wolff
“I enjoyed it even more the second time around … You seem to have captured an era in French history…”
H.G.
Reviews
You really bring the Parisian literary and theatrical scene to life… and make Rostand a real human being”… “plenty in it for the specialist and also very readable for people like me who are interested but not so knowledgeable.”
D.A.
"The Man Who is Cyrano is ... a volume of meticulous historical detective work, breathtaking in scope, brilliantly compiled, and beautifully written. .
Robert Bidinotto
With many thanks to Jamie M. Lloyd for creating this website.
The Man Who Was Cyrano