About
Michel Butor (1926-2016) was a French writer and a major figure of the Nouveau Roman. After studying philosophy at the Sorbonne, he taught in Manchester, Thessaloniki, Geneva, and the United States. His novel La Modification (1957), written in the second person, won the Prix Renaudot. He then abandoned traditional fiction for experimental works combining texts, collages, and collaborations with artists. Author of numerous essays, he received the Grand Prix de littérature de l'Académie française in 2013.
* 1926-09-14 — † 2016-08-24
Major works
- Passage de Milan (1954)novel
- L'Emploi du temps (1956)novel
- La Modification (1957)novel
- Degrés (1960)novel
- Mobile : étude pour une représentation des États-Unis (1962)experimental essay
Key milestones
- 1957Won the Prix Renaudot for La Modification.
- 1960Signed the Manifeste des 121 against the Algerian War.
- 2013Received the Grand Prix de littérature de l'Académie française.
Themes
the Nouveau Romanformal experimentationtravelthe citymemory
Sources: britannica.com · bnf.fr · llc.ed.ac.uk