About
Maurice Blanchot (1907-2003) was a major French writer and thinker. After studying philosophy in Strasbourg, he published his first novel, Thomas the Obscure, in 1941. An influential critic at the Nouvelle Revue Française, he developed a reflection on literature and writing through works such as The Space of Literature and The Infinite Conversation. His work, both fictional and theoretical, profoundly marked contemporary thought, especially post-structuralist philosophers. Opposed to the Algerian War, he wrote the final version of the Manifesto of the 121. He remained famous for his discretion, refusing interviews and photographs.
* 1907-09-22 — † 2003-02-20
Major works
- Thomas l'Obscur (1941)novel
- L'Espace littéraire (1955)essay
- Le Livre à venir (1959)essay
- L'Entretien infini (1969)essay
- L'Écriture du désastre (1980)essay
Key milestones
- 1942Joined the Nouvelle Revue Française (NRF) at Gallimard.
- 1960Wrote the final version of the Manifesto of the 121 against the Algerian War.
- 2015His personal archives were acquired by Houghton Library at Harvard University.
Themes
Writing and literatureDeath and finitudeAbsence and the neutralFriendship and communityPolitical engagement
Sources: archive.blogs.harvard.edu · oxfordbibliographies.com · jean-paulhan.fr