Many people know about Victor Hugo’s connection with Guernsey – the island where he spent 15 years in exile and finished his 1862 masterpiece ‘Les Misérables’.
But now the French novelist’s connect to neighbouring Sark is being celebrated with a new set of six stamps from Guernsey Post.
Hugo, who lived in Guernsey between 1855 and 1870, made many visits to Sark during his time in the Bailwick.
The stamps feature Hugo surrounded by the landscape of Sark, which served as part of his literary inspiration.
Hugo is featured walking through the island’s lanes with his companion Juliette Drouet and overlooking the islands cliffs, and references from his 1866 novel ‘The Toilers of the Sea’ – which is set in the Bailiwick – are shown on the stamps.
Bridget Yabsley, Head of Philatelic at Guernsey Post, said: “Victor Hugo’s connection with Sark forms an important part of the island’s cultural heritage and literary history.
“These stamps celebrate both the remarkable landscapes that inspired him and the enduring relationship between the Channel Islands and one of France’s greatest writers.”
Though Hugo was most famous for ‘Les Misérables’, the later novel ‘The Toilers of the Sea bares the mark of his time in the Channel Islands most, with the main character being from Guernsey.
