Philippe Ollé-Laprune on Mexico’s Casa Refugio

Casa Refugio Citlaltépetl houses persecuted and threatened writers who translate and publish in exile, and arranges literary talks and international workshops in the vibrant Condesa district of Mexico City. The director of Casa Refugio, Philippe Ollé-Laprune, joins us to discuss the importance of their work and screen a short documentary about one of their residents.

About Phillipe Ollé-Laprune:

Philippe Ollé-Laprune has facilitated more than 30 years of cultural exchange between France and Latin America as a consultant, coordinator, producer, translator, compiler, and editor. He has been responsible for the Cultural Service of the French Embassy in Honduras. He was the founder and co-director of the Ad’Hoc Agency, a private cultural agency in France, where he organized the Marché de la Poésie and the colloquium “Latin Americans speak to Europeans” in Paris. Philippe also directed the Book Office of the French Embassy in Mexico from 1994–1998, during which time he published 85 books translated from French in 15 Mexican publishing houses. Philippe was the founding director of the Casa Refugio Citlaltépetl and the magazine Líneas de Fuga (1999–2016). He hosted 13 exiled writers in Mexico City and organized some 600 literary and cultural events. Until 2023, he was the coordinator of University Extension at UAM Cuajimalpa. Philippe also plays a crucial role in ICORN (International Cities of Refuge Network) in Latin America. He was the announcer of the radio program “Acentos” on Opus 94, which aired more than 940 episodes. He is the author and host of the documentary series “America!” for Channel 1 and the coordinator of the series “Conversar de Literatura,” broadcast by Channel 22.