This September, French writer and researcher Paul Max Morin undertakes a writing residency at Greve de Lecq Barracks, hosted by ArtHouse Jersey, to develop Born to Lose - a non-fiction book tracing the explosive arrival of punk music in the Cotentin region of Normandy.
Focusing on a group of teenagers from the small town of Picauville (Manche), Born to Lose is a story of rebellion, transformation, and music’s power to disrupt and define identity. As punk swept across the Channel in the late 1970s and early '80s, these young people found themselves irrevocably changed.
The Island of Jersey plays a key role in the book. With its physical and symbolic proximity, it became a vital point of escape - a place where rare records could be found, subcultural connections forged, and the promise of another life imagined. Part of the narrative unfolds on Jersey itself, grounding the Island in the broader punk story of the region.
Paul’s time at the Barracks will be dedicated to further research, writing, and deepening the cross-Channel context of this little-known yet compelling cultural history.
You are invited to join Paul on the evening of Tuesday 16 September, 7pm for a Q&A with Paul hosted by ArtHouse Jersey's Head of Programme James Tyson and hear some early readings from the book.
