A Legacy of Scholarship and Creativity
Geraint’s most monumental achievement is undoubtedly Les Pages Jèrriaises, the vast online repository hosted on the Société Jersiaise website. With over 7,200 pages of articles, stories, poems, songs, grammar guides, vocabulary lists, and pronunciation resources, it is the single most comprehensive collection of Jèrriais material in existence. It is used daily by students, researchers, teachers, and language enthusiasts around the world.
Within this collection are:
- Around 3,000 articles and letters
- Over 2,000 poems, many dating back to the 18th century
- 400 of Geraint’s own translations, of songs, carols and poetry, including all 154 of Shakespeare’s sonnets. In addition he has translated the Alice books of Lewis Carroll, Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, several extracts from Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories and two of Hergé’s Tintin books.
- More than 1,000 original poems, stories, plays, and articles authored by Geraint himself.
His work has preserved centuries of cultural heritage while also expanding the expressive possibilities of Jèrriais for modern speakers.
Champion of Language Revitalisation
Geraint’s influence extends far beyond the written word. As Chair of the Section d’la Langue Jèrriaise and a key member of l’Académie du Jèrriais, he has helped shape new vocabulary for contemporary life, ensuring the language continues to grow and adapt.
He founded the Caqu’téthie conversation sessions, creating welcoming spaces for learners and fluent speakers to meet, practise, and share the language. His support for teachers, students, and community groups has made him a mentor to many.
His cultural contributions also include founding Les Chaboleurs dance group and La Chant’tie, whose repertoire of Jèrriais Christmas carols he collected, adapted, and translated.
Geraint’s nomination was proposed by Société Members Averil Arthur, Marie-Louise Backhurst, Helen Romeril, Marianne Sargent and Jean Treleven supported by leading voices in linguistics, education, and heritage. Professor Mari Jones (University of Cambridge) praised his “outstanding resource” in Les Pages Jèrriaises and his “detailed knowledge of the language without parallel.” Ben Spink, Head of the Jèrriais Teaching Service, highlighted Geraint’s “invaluable and unrivalled” contribution to the Jèrriais corpus. Dr Paul Chambers, Head of Jersey Island Geopark, commended his generosity, dedication, and alignment with the Société’s mission.
A Well‑Deserved Honour
Geraint Jennings’ lifelong commitment to Jèrriais—its literature, its speakers, its future—embodies the very spirit of the Société Jersiaise. His work has ensured that the language remains a living, evolving expression of Jersey’s identity.
We are proud to recognise his achievements and celebrate his nomination as Membre d’Honneur.
Mèrcie bein des fais, Geraint. Jersey is richer for your work.
