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Most great writers are rooted in their time and a specific place, yet are great precisely because their work and what it says about humanity transcends the local and touches universal themes people everywhere understand and recognize.

So it is with Acadian author Antonine Maillet who is being feted on the 50th anniversary of the publication of her first novel and is also the subject of a symposium at l'Université de Moncton this week. The symposium has attracted at least 15 scholars from around the world who have written academic papers about Maillet's work.

Acadians and New Brunswickers have a right to be proud of this global literary ambassador who has brought so much attention to us, our cultures and history. While Maillet holds a special place in Acadian culture and indeed was a key player in the revival and understanding of that culture, her accomplishment is even greater. She belongs to a rare "club" of writers considered to be among the best in the world. She has attracted audiences not just in the French-speaking world but in places like Japan, India, Sweden and Brazil. Clearly, Antonine Maillet, however grounded in l'Acadie, has something to say to all of us. Her achievements as, and for, the Acadian people are significant enough. The fact her works go well beyond that makes her "great" and relevant to all. The honours are earned.