Dev Virahsawmy was born in Mauritius in 1942. His schooling was in Mauritius, and he attended the University of Edinburgh. His dissertation was called Towards a Revaluation of Mauritian Creole, a theme which has continued in all his subsequent work. Dev is a passionate campaigner for the establishment of Creole (or, his preferred term, Morisien) as the national language of Mauritius: a language of literature, culture and government, as well as daily life. From 1966 to 1987, Dev was actively involved in Mauritian politics. Since then, he has concentrated on writing in Morisien. Plays include the celebrated (and long-banned) Li (Winner 11th Concours de Radio-France International 1981), Abs Lemanifik, Zeneral Makbef, Toufann, and Kayse Ba. Translations and adaptations include Trazedji Makbess (Macbeth),Enn Ta Senn Dan Vid (Much Ado About Nothing), Zil Sezar (Julius Caesar), Galileo Gonaz (Life of Galileo), Tartchif Froder ( Le Tartuffe) and Zozef (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat). His recent play, Sir Toby, was written in response to Border Crossings' production of Twelfth Night in Mauritius. Dev lives in Rose-Hill, Mauritius, with his wife Loga and his daughters Saskia and Anushka.

Click here to buy the Border Crossings translation of Toufann

Click here to read work by Dev Virahsawmy, including the full text of Toufann in Mauritian Creole.

Click here to read articles by and interviews with Dev Virahsawmy, in English and Morisien.