Mayi Pelot

Mayi Pelot (Talence, 1947-Biarritz, 2016) is recognized as one of the first authors to have written science fiction as a genre in Basque. Having pursued French, Latin, and Greek studies in college, she later on became a school teacher in Biarritz, where she learned Basque. She was an active member of the Basque-speaking literary and linguistic community, co-founding the literary magazine Maiatz, presenting radio shows based on Asimov’s and Wagner’s works in the first years of the Basque-speaking radio station Gure Irratia, and participating in the development of the Nola erran French-Basque dictionary, launched by the Public Office of the Basque Language. A lover of music from around the world and a devout yoga practitioner, she wrote a book-length essay on Hinduism on top of her poetry and fiction. This, in 1992, would be her last publication. She adopted a son and led a private life until her death of cancer on October 6, 2016.