Americans and French visit Guernsey to celebrate life of Victor Hugo

• Video report by ITV Channel's Emma Volney

The life of Victor Hugo has been celebrated in Guernsey with people travelling from as far as the USA to learn more about his story.

The 19th century French writer lived in exile in Guernsey for 15 years after being labelled a traitor by his country.

The Victor Hugo in Guernsey Society arranged a series of talks over the weekend to teach more people about his life in the island.

Society chair Dinah Bott said: "He promoted himself through the Guernsey newspapers, so he was able to promote and market himself through Guernsey.

"He had lots of free time to study the things he was interested in, to look at the rocks and the sea, and to gain inspiration from them in the same way he gained inspiration from Paris."

His most famous works include Les Misérables, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Toilers of the Sea, which he wrote for the people of Guernsey.

Marva Barnett who travelled over from the USA said: "Americans usually recognise his name, but actually, when I say I am going to Guernsey, they sometimes look and me and I say 'where the cows come from' because they know Guernsey and Jersey cows, but really we are so far from the Channel Islands and do not know them as well as we should."

Florence Naugrette visited from France and told ITV Channel TV: "I have been invited by Victor Hugo in Guernsey Society three times. The society is very welcoming and Guernsey really is such a wonderful place."