Raoul Follereau author page

Raoul Follereau biography

Raoul Follereau was a French writer, journalist, poet and humanitarian whose published work included poetry, journalism, speeches and writing connected with his campaigns against leprosy and social exclusion. Early in his career he worked in arts and cultural journalism, founded La Jeune Académie in Paris and published poetry and theatre. He later became an international campaigner for people affected by leprosy and established World Leprosy Day in 1954.

For younger readers, Follereau is the author of the poem presented in the picture book A Smile. The English-language edition published by Pikku Publishing pairs a modern translation of his poem Un sourire with paper-collage illustrations by Hoda Hadadi. The illustrations follow two children through their day as their smiles influence the people they meet, providing a visual narrative alongside Follereau’s poem about the value of a smile.

A Smile was published in the UK by Pikku Publishing as a 32-page hardback for readers aged three and over on 1 April 2021.