Yannick Jaulin

Yannick Jaulin
Born (1958-07-30) July 30, 1958
OccupationsActor, storyteller
Known forOral literature, contemporary storytelling in France
AwardsChevalier of Arts and Letters (2005); Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (2013)

Yannick Jaulin (born (1958-07-30)July 30, 1958) is a French storyteller, actor, and playwright. He was born in Aubigny, Vendée, France. He is also described as a diseur (a speaker-performer in the oral tradition), singer, and humorist.[1][2]

Biography

Childhood influenced by Poitevin-Saintongeais

Yannick Jaulin is originally from the Vendée department in western France. From an early age, he was immersed in parlanjhe, also known as Poitevin-Saintongeais, a Gallo-Romance language (similar to Gallo and Picard), often referred to colloquially as a patois.

My grandfather bowed his cap all his life to his master – a tattered, degenerate nobleman. As a teenager, I was just a belou from the countryside, with my flared pants and my Flandria, completely uncritical. People used to say, "C'est d'même qu'ol aet" – that's just how it is.

— reported by Stéphane Davet[3]

Involvement with the Order of the Solar Temple

In his solo performance Terrien, which he described as the story of a man who loves stories so much that he gets caught by one of them. A story of blindness. And of revelation, Jaulin addresses his time as a member of the Order of the Solar Temple, a cult that he and his partner left about a year before the mass suicides occurred.[2] He spoke publicly about this period of his life in an episode of the Canal+ investigative program Spécial Investigation broadcast in December 2012.

In 2022, Jaulin revisited his years in the cult as a former follower in the documentary series La Secte.[4] He also appeared on the morning program of France Inter, interviewed by Sonia Devillers.[5]

Actor

Publications

Books

  • J’ai pas fermé l’œil de la nuit
  • Il était une fois J'ai pas fermé l'œil de la nuit (co-authored with Titus)
  • La Légende de Pougne-Hérisson, le Nombril du Monde (co-authored with Titus)
  • Jaulin raconte Pougne-Hérisson (including an interview with Nathael Moreau)
  • Terrien (play text, including interviews with Wajdi Mouawad)
  • Le Dodo (Éditions Paradox)
  • Le Voyage à pas d’âne (Éditions Geste Paysanne; photographs by Eddy Rivière)
  • Causer d’Amour
  • Ma langue maternelle va mourir et j’ai du mal à vous parler d'Amour
  • Manuel de résistance en Langue rare (Saint Rock project)

Performances / Author

  • Les Oisives (2016), performed by Angélique Clairand and Valérie Puech
  • La bête à deux dos ou le coaching amoureux (2007), written and performed by Angélique Clairand
  • Chemin de la Belle étoile (2009), created by Sébastien Bertrand

Solo creations

  • Causer d’Amour (November 2018)
  • Ma langue maternelle va mourir et j'ai du mal à vous parler d'amour (January 2018)
  • Comme vider la mer avec une cuiller (2015)
  • Conteur ? Conteur (2012)
  • Le Dodo (2010)
  • Merlicoquet et autres contes de randonnée (2009)
  • Terrien (2007)
  • Menteur (2003)
  • J'ai pas fermé l'œil de la nuit (2000)
  • Jaulin en scène (2000)
  • Rien que du beau Monde (1996)
  • La vie des Roses (1994)
  • Pougne-Hérisson (1991)
  • Géants (1989)
  • Château-Fromage (1987)
  • Gargantua (1987)
  • Feux Foets (1987)
  • Tradition du goût (1985)
  • La mogette d’or (1985)
  • La montagne verte (with Gérard Potier) (1984)
  • La beroète à Balthazar (1984)

Honours and awards

  • Nominated for the 2020 Molière Award for Solo Performer (Ma langue maternelle va mourir et j’ai du mal à vous parler d’amour)
  • Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (2005)[8]
  • Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (14 July 2013): awarded by the Ministry of Culture[9][10]
  • Grand National Prize for Cultural Innovation (1999), awarded by Culture Minister Catherine Trautmann, for his work in rural cultural development
  • Tasse d'or and Best Performance Awards at the Cannes Performance Festival (1990 and 2001)[11]
  • Unanimously elected "Deux‑Sévrien of the Year" (1995)[12]

References

  1. ^ Carpentier, Laurent. "Yannick Jaulin, conteur de la ruralité ordinaire". Le Monde. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  2. ^ a b Roussel, Frédérique (26 November 2007). "It's patois, it's me – Portrait". Libération. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  3. ^ Davet, Stéphane (13 September 2004). "Yannick Jaulin, un affabulateur dans le terroir". Le Monde. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  4. ^ "Ancien adepte de la secte du Temple Solaire, le conteur vendéen Yannick Jaulin témoigne". Ouest-France. 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  5. ^ "The Solar Temple cult: a former member testifies". France Inter. 16 September 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  6. ^ "La Légende de Thierry Mauvignier". Film‑Documentaire.fr. Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  7. ^ "La Légende de Thierry Mauvignier – Prime Video". Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  8. ^ "Yannick Jaulin named Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres". La Nouvelle République. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  9. ^ Louvre pour tous. "Culture: those decorated with the Legion of Honour on 14 July 2013". www.louvrepourtous.fr. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  10. ^ "Yannick Jaulin: Chevalier of the Legion of Honour and proud of it". SudOuest.fr. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  11. ^ "Le conteur vendéen Yannick Jaulin dédie le Molière qu'il n'a pas reçu". Ouest‑France. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  12. ^ ""Le Nombril du monde, c'est encore un défi", selon Yannick Jaulin". La Nouvelle République. Retrieved 10 July 2025.