Literature inWalloon has been printed since the 16th century or at least since the beginning of the 17th century.[1] Its golden age was in the 19th century: 'That period saw an efflorescence of Walloon literature, plays and poems primarily, and the founding of many theaters and periodicals.'[2] Yves Quairiaux counted 4800 plays for 1860–1914, published or not.[3] In this period plays were almost the only popular show in Wallonia. But this theater remains popular in present-day Wallonia: Theatre is still flourishing with over 200 non-professional companies playing in the cities and villages of Wallonia for an audience of over 200,000 each year.[4] Jacques Ancion wanted to develop a regular adult audience.[5] This regional literature most commonly deals with local folklore and ancient traditions, the most prominent Walloon author beingArthur Masson.[6][7]
^Dutch, French and German are legally the three official languages in Belgium, see:Belgium, European Union
References:
^In hisAnthologie de la littérature wallonne, Mardaga, Liège, 1978,ISBN2-8021-0024-6 Maurice Piron is speaking (p. 5) aboutfour dialogues printed between 1631 and 1636
^'Switching Languages', Translingual Writers Reflect on Their Craft, Edited by Steven G. Kellman Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2003, p. 153.ISBN978-0-8032-2747-7
^Yves Quairiaux,L'image du Flamand en Wallonie, Essai d'analyse sociale et politique (1830-1914), Labor, Bruwxelles, 2006, p. 126.ISBN2-8040-2174-2
^Joan Gross,Speaking in Other Voices: An Ethnography of Walloon Puppet Theaters. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins Press, 2001,ISBN1-58811-054-0
