Forced into exile, Benjamin PÉRET sails towards Mexican lands. 1941.

Benjamin Péret (1889.1959)

Autographed letter signed to Pierre Mabille.

Half a page in quarto on blue paper.

December 3, 1941.

"We are sailing towards the Americas; we left Marseille six weeks ago."

Benjamin Péret, forced into exile, sails towards the free lands of Mexico.

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"My dear Mabille, we are sailing towards the Americas . We left Marseille six weeks ago and will be in Puerto Trujillo at the earliest on Sunday, or at the latest next week. Could you come to the port of call? I would be so delighted to see you, it's been so long… I also have some photos of your children and a letter from Gomes to give you. I hesitate to send it from here for fear it might get lost, but if you or Michette, whom I send my warmest regards, don't appear in Puerto Trujillo, I will send it there."

Naturally, I am going to Mexico and I will be very happy to hear from you at Paalen's, whose address is: Los Cedros, Villa Obregón, Mexico City, Mexico City. For the moment, I am aboard a Portuguese ship, the "Serpa Pinto" of the Companhia Colonial de Navegação, and I am stopping, after Puerto Trujillo, in Havana and, of course, Veracruz ; but I would very much like to see you. All my affection to Michette and to you with all my heart. Benjamin Péret

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Mobilized in February 1940, Benjamin Péret was arrested for attempting to reconstitute a Trotskyist organization. Imprisoned in Rennes, he was released on bail on June 22, 1940, in a France now occupied by the Nazis. Living in semi-clandestinity, he nevertheless contributed to literary journals close to the Surrealists before being forced into exile.

In October 1941, he and his partner Remedios Varo managed to embark from Marseille to Casablanca and then on to Mexico where they landed at the end of December 1941. The couple remained on Mexican soil until 1948.