Tugdual Kalvez

Author of books in breton and in french, Tugdual Kalvez was born on december 22th 1937, in Plœmeur, in a place that is today on the territory of Lorient, where he has lived his first years. He came back to Ergué-Armel, home town to his ancesters, in january 1943, after the family home had been bombed. He afterwards followed his parents in Nantes in january 1947. There he spent most of his student years, which he ended in Rennes by a philosophy and a general linguistic licence, and a maitrise of breton and keltic language and culture.

Born in a family of breton activists, he got himself very young in the defense of breton culture and language. In that prospective he founded in 1960, with Henri Landreau, An Namnediz, the first breton folk group; in 1966, Nantes gouren club (gouren is a traditionnal wrestling sport), Kelc’h Sevenadurel Gwened (Vannes Breton Culture Centre) in 1972; Unvaniezh ar Gelennerien Brezhoneg (Breton teachers Union), in 1981; ha Glad Senof (Association for promoting the heritage around St Nolf), in 1996.

Married, father of two, breton has always been the family language. His grandchildren are also breton speakers from birth.

He has been a psychopedagogy teacher in Teachers Highscool, in Vannes, for twelve years, from 1967. He also taught breton to the students-masters before being sent to teach philosophy and breton in lycée Colbert of Lorient, and in Benjamin Franklin in Auray. Retired from 1998, he still teaches breton, writes, and goes on with his activist commitment for Brittany, its language and its culture.