Thibault Ehrengardt

Thibault Ehrengardt was first attracted to Jamaica through reggae music. In 2000, after passing his exams in La Sorbonne (Paris IV), he launched the leading European reggae magazine (Natty Dread), going to and fro between France and Jamaica. Keen on history, he soon wrote the first History of Jamaica to be published in French for more than 200 years (Histoire de la Jamaïque). This was the first book of the Jamaica Insula series. Thibault Ehrengardt then translated the classic book of Laurie Gunst, Born Fi' Dead, put out an Atlas of the first maps of Jamaica and decided to stop the publication of Natty Dread: "Music in Jamaica was not exciting to me anymore, I somewhat lost my enthusiasm." A free-lance journalist, he focused on his publishing cie, DREAD Editions, writing a series of the most famous Jamaicans (Les Hommes illustres de la Jamaïque). In 2012, he spent several weeks following the police patrols in the most volatile areas of Kingston, and also met many gang leaders (or Dons). It gave birth to Les Gangs de Jamaïque, that came out in French in 2012—and was translated into English under the title GANGS OF JAMAICA: "Jamaica is a lost paradise," says the author. "I soon realized that reggae music was deeply influenced by this violence, and that this violence had been created on purpose by a handful of ruthless politicians. Some Dons, or godfathers, obtain social recognition thanks to their political connections and corruption is the order of the day. IN 2010, the most powerful Dons of all was eventually arrested by the police and the army—despite the Prime Minister who tried his best to protect him! This could be a turning point in the history of crime in Jamaica. So IT WAS THE RIGHT TIME to go in Jamaica to find out what was going on." A specialist of the discovery of the New World, Thibault Ehrengardt has just put out a book about the (fairy) tales of the New World : La Fureur mensongère: "It is a very lively book, full of incredible tales about monsters, unknown animals, giants or headless peoples," says the author. "It is also a very deep and serious questioning about the weakness of mankind, the way people react to a changing world. This was a frightening and exciting period and all the most learnt people of Europe had to re-consider their most intimate convictions, not only on Man but also on God and on Creation."