Australian Journal of French Studies
Distant (Be)longings: Contemporary Australian Memoirs of Life in France
Abstract
Memoirs by Australians of living in France have proliferated since 2001. Their appeal largely depends on providing an insider’s insights, and invariably the authors refer to their feelings of belonging in France. Belonging to a place is commonly conceived of as a gradual attachment established through repeated local routines. In these memoirs, however, expressions of belonging are curiously often strongest on arrival in France, only to diminish thereafter. Indeed, belonging seems best achieved at a distance, prior to travel, rather than created