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The Occitan association País Nòstre is to pay tribute to Robèrt Lafont next Thursday in Narbona. Lafont was a key figure in the Occitan cultural and political world. He was a professor of Occitan language and literature at the University of Montpellier, as well as writer, sociolinguist and historian. His academic work and his stance in favour of minoritised languages were known beyond Occitan territories.

A prolific author of prose, poetry and essays, he will go down in history for founding the Institute of Occitan Studies and the Occitan Committee of Studies and Action. He was also involved in politics and became a leading Occitan nationalist. Lafont run for French presidential elections in 1974, but his candidacy was not admitted.

More information:

• Reactions among Occitan bloggers: La France vue d'en bas o lo País d'en Jacme, utopia o democràcia !, Diari Cívic, A las Fadarelas Occitanas.
• Vilaweb: Robèrt Lafont, lo grand intellectual e occitanista es mòrt

Occitània/Occitania

General information
Population: 15.500.000 inhabitants (2006)
Area: 190.000 km2
Institutions: Conselh Generau d'Aran
State administration: France, Italy, Spain and Monaco
Major cities:Marselha (Marseilles), Tolosa (Toulouse), Montpelhièr (Montpellier), Pau, Niça (Nice) and Lemòtges (Limoges)
Territorial language: Occitan
Official language: French, Italian, Catalan, Spanish and Occitan
Major religion: Christianity (mainly Catholicism, also some Protestantism)