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.

Bibliography

Poetry

De chair et d'âme

édit. Jean Germain, Bordeaux, 1962

Ciel-de-gris

B.I.P., Rennes, 1970

Notre terre promise

Kendalc'h, 1977, partie centrale bilingue

Blaz ar vuhez

en breton, Mouladurioù Hor Yezh, 1999

A fendre cœur / Cri de colonisé

édit. Sevel e vouezh, 2005

War barlenn an amzer

Al Liamm, 2007

Prices he got

(whithout being ever candidate to any of them)

Prix Pierre Roy literature in breton

1997

Prix Xavier de Langlais

2000 for the book Blaz ar vuhez

Prix Imram

2002 for his whole poetry in breton, granted by Rencontres Poétiques Internationales de Bretagne.

Short novels

Logodennig

Kaoteriad, Skrid, 1987

An heol ne ouio ket

Al Liamm, Nn 286, Gwengolo 1994

Mallozh Doue

Al Liamm. Nn 331, Ebrel 2002

Nozvezh Chani

Al Liamm, Nn 346, Here 2004

An dimeziñ

Al Liamm, Nn 349, Ebrel 2005

Théatre

Beaj ar Venus

(Skrid, Nn 30, 1982), one act play traslated in dutch and flemich.

Foreword

36 chandelles pour un enfant

Poetry book from Judikaël (Kendalc'h, 1975)

Bretagne aujourd'hui, terre de poésie

(An Douarenn, K.S.G., 1979)

Bretanje is weer poëzie

Anthology translated from breton to dutch by Jan Deloof, with poems by T.K. (Orbis en Orion, Uitgevers, Beveren, België, 1981).

Verhalen van het eind van de wereld

Presentation of breton authors in the anthology translated from breton by Jan Deloof Verhalen van het eind van de wereld (Kruispunt 117, België, 1988).

Ik heb geen ander land

Foreword in breton of the poetry anthology translated from breton to dutch by Jan Deloof : Ik heb geen ander land (Kruispunt, 1988, dont poèmes de T.K. et dans le C.D.).

Adaptations in breton

Breton parts in oratorio Mor-Bihan

by Patrick Jackson-Röhrer, composer Christophe Guyard (1994).

Breton lyrics of the opera Anne de Bretagne

lyrics by Jean-Michel Fournereau, music by Pierick Houdy (2001).

Translations of poems by several authors

on their demand, including Christine Guénanten.

Translations

Books for children

(Albums du Père Castor, Flammarion, 1976): Tri femoc'h bihan, Ar c'havr hag ar mennoù-gavr, Keneiled vat, Ar Bisig Kollet (les deux derniers édités en outre sur cassette par Bemdez, en 1991).

Practice and educational

Chèques et adresses en breton

Coop Breizh, 2002

Toponymy

Des noms de lieux à l'histoire de Saint-Nolf

Glad Senolf, 2003

Les noms de lieux d'Hañveg

Sevel e vouezh, 2007

Sections

Sections

Dans L'Avenir de la Bretagne, Ar Vro, Breizh, Skol Vreizh, La Bretagne à Paris, Sav Breizh, La Liberté du Mor-Bihan, Bremañ, Hor Yezh, Al Liamm, Breizh Info, Spered Gouez, Armor Magazine,...

Music

An Namnediz

45t. Mouez Breiz, N° 45126, 1966

Tonioù poblel Breizh gant An Namnediz

45t. B.I.P., N°45-01, 1970

Folk-song breton: An Namnediz

33t. 17cm, MF, B.I.P. N°45-02, 1973

Kanaouennoù a-wechall evit bugale a-vremañ

33t. 17cm, Skol & C.R.D.P. Rennes, 1985

An Namnediz en Erge-Vihan

cassette M.P.O., K.S.G., 1989

An Namnediz : 1960-1973

C.D. de 64', Sevel e vouezh, 2006

Philosophy

Geriadur ar brederouriezh

Bilingual philosophy dictionary breton-french, 731 pages, to be published in Tir Editions

Perlosophy

philosophie et pédagogie, drawings from Malo Louarn, to be published

A-hed ma freder

notes philosophiques, in writting

Sources

Tugdual Kalvez books are available at Sevel e vouezh, Er Hraz _ 56250 Saint-Nolf