The Chagossians in Francophone fiction: (Post)memory, trauma and reclaimed agency.

This article examines the representation of the Chagossians' forced deportation and subsequent fight for justice through three Francophone fictional texts: Shenaz Patel's *Le Silence des Chagos* (2005), Caroline Laurent's *Rivage de la colère* (2021), and Jean-Michel Fillol's *Chago, l'orphelin de l'histoire* (2014). It focuses on themes of (post)memory, trauma, and reclaimed agency within a postcolonial context, analyzing how these narratives reflect the collective memory, trauma, resistance, and legal battles of the Chagossian community against British and Mauritian authorities. The texts serve to empower and heal the exiled Chagossians and their descendants by enabling them to process their traumatic history and assert their identity and rights. The article highlights the evolving literary portrayal from nostalgic trauma to active revolt and hopeful reappropriation of homeland, paralleling real-world legal developments affirming the Chagossians' claims.