In the Footsteps of Zarafa, First Giraffe in France

This engaging account traces the remarkable history of France’s first giraffe, a gift from an Egyptian Pasha to King Charles X in 1826. "Zarafa," who was taken by boat from Egypt to Marseille and walked all the way to Paris, drew vast crowds, epitomizing European reactions to the exotic "other" in times of great social change.

Olivier Lebleu has lived in La Rochelle since 2002, after an initial career in audiovisual production in Paris. A writer, he has published around fifteen books, both historical and fictional, and he regularly runs writing workshops. He has also translated some fifteen English works, mainly nonfiction, and taught translation at the University of La Rochelle. A playwright, actor, and singer, he sometimes acts in his own plays and has created a few musical shows, in which he performs alone or accompanied.

AUTHOR'S NOTE FOREWORD BY BRUCE D. PATTERSON PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 1 THE GIRAFFE BEFORE ZARAFA: A Polymorphous Monster 2 ILLUSTRIOUS GODPARENTS: A Predestined Animal 3 THE PASHA'S GIFT: Diplomacy at Stake 4 ZARAFA IN FRANCE: A Royal Triumph 5 THE ANIMAL UNDER A MAGNIFYING GLASS: An Aberration of Nature 6 BETWEEN SCIENCE AND RELIGION: An Animal at a Price 7 TRADE AND GIRAFFOMANIA: Marketing Materials 8 POLITICAL CARICATURE: A Satirical Weapon 9 ZARAFA'S LEGACY: An Existential Fable NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND TRANSLATOR