A Conversation with Marion Fritsch, Patron of the Poetry Contest

Fragments of a Contemporary Poet.

When we think poetry, names like Victor Hugo, Emily Dickinson or Wordsworth often come to mind. But today, new voices are emerging, voices that bring poetry back to its emotional and popular roots. One of them is Marion Fritsch, a committed writer and creator. This year, she serves as the patron of the Poetry Contest organized by Culture Without Border. We spoke with her about her journey and what writing means to her.

"I don’t think I ever declared myself a poet,

in a way, I was baptized as one. " 

That’s how Marion sums up her journey, with disarming honesty and a quiet humility echoing throughout her story.

The Unplanned Path

It all began on Instagram, with her book review account Une livre une histoire. But soon, the need to write her own words took over. She enrolled in a creative writing course at the University of Cergy.

“I showed up kind of as a tourist, and suddenly I was in a room full of writers and literature. We did writing workshops, and that’s when I realized, I loved it !”

Gradually, she began publishing short texts online, fragments as she calls them, driven by emotion and precision. “ I wrote very short pieces, ones that worked well on social media. I even put ‘poet’ in my bio, as a joke.” But something clicked. Readers responded, one day, her first book was published and filed under poetry.

“People first started saying it was poetry. I liked to say it was poetic. Then one day, my book came out... and it ended up in the poetry section. That’s when I think the label stuck.”

Redefining poetry, bringing it out of its bubble

For Marion, poetry isn’t something intimidating. It’s a heartfelt form of expression, meant for everyone. When asked about legitimacy in poetry, she’s straightforward: “Poetry can be very elitist, very insular. But I feel like I was chosen by the people. People who didn’t read poetry started reading it through my words.”

Her mission is to dust off a genre often felt like frozen in time. “Art is about reinventing what already exists. In France, the idea of poetry feels stuck. Abroad, it’s free, it’s more alive. We need to shift gears.”

Emotion as raw material

What are you looking for when you write? Her answer is immediate: emotion.

“Writing is a space.

A space where you’re told: you can write.

People will listen. They’ll read you.

And that changes everything.”

Her writing is filled with love, absence and human connection. It also reflects a deeper awareness of the value of creative labor. She now admits she’s stepping back from social media.

“At first, it’s exciting to get feedback, likes and reactions. But eventually, you have to learn to write without needing instant validation. Learn to detach, to build, to deepen. It’s a slower, more demanding process, but an essential one.”

Today she writes with sincerity, away from pressure, trying to reclaim her creative space.

Holding the Door Open

As patron of the contest, Marion carries a clear message: poetry is for everyone.

What does it mean to you to be the patron of the 2025 Poetry Contest?

“It’s a real honor. I think it’s beautiful to see the French language travel across the world and give everyone a chance to express themselves.”

She highlights the unique value of poetry among younger generations: “There’s a kind of innocence in their writing that’s hard to replicate. Like they say, it’s hard to draw like a child, well, it’s the same with poetry.”

When asked what she hopes to pass on, she reflects on her own journey and the absence of role models. Today she wants to be what she once needed: a source of inspiration, approachable and grounded in the present.

“I didn’t really have a poetry role model.

But I hope one day, someone younger will say:

I want to be like her.

That’s all I could wish for.”

Poetry Isn’t Done Yet

Before we finish, does poetry still have a role to play today?

Her answer is clear : yes, but differently.

“I think poetry can still reach young people, but we need to give it a new shape. It has to come out of the shadows and out of those old school textbooks.”

She’s currently working on several writing projects, including a story focused on youth and the everyday realities of school life.

“I want to open the door, offer a hand. There are so many talented people out there who don’t even know it yet. We need to create space for them too.”

Poetry, Wide Awake

What stands out after meeting Marion is a free, warm and deeply human voice. A living poetry driven by the will to pass something on and awaken hidden feelings.

In her hands, poetry becomes a gesture, a hand reaching out to those who never dared to write, read or speak. And if she found her voice, it’s perhaps to help others find theirs.

That’s exactly the spirit of her latest project: Écrire les saisons du cœur, a writing journal published on June 13, 2025, by Leduc. Conceived as a personal workshop, the book invites readers to write from within, to dare to speak.

“That’s when I understood something essential: everyone has a story to tell. Everyone can write a poem. But too often, no one tells us that.”

With her writing, her workshops and this new journal in the hands of readers, Marion continues to weave the thread that connects the personal and the universal, speech and listening, emotion and action. A poetry that’s not only alive, but contagious.