About
Paul-Yves Nizan, born in Tours in 1905, was a French writer and philosopher. A graduate of the École Normale Supérieure and friend of Jean-Paul Sartre, he joined the Communist Party in 1927. His experience in Aden inspired his anti-colonialist pamphlet 'Aden Arabie' (1931). He published critical essays and novels, including 'Antoine Bloyé' (1933) and 'La Conspiration' (1938, Prix Interallié). He broke with the PCF in 1939 after the German-Soviet pact. Mobilized, he was killed in action in 1940. Rediscovered after the war thanks to Sartre.
* 1905-02-07 — † 1940-05-23
Major works
- Aden Arabie (1931)essay
- Les Chiens de garde (1932)essay
- Antoine Bloyé (1933)novel
- Le Cheval de Troie (1935)novel
- La Conspiration (1938)novel
Key milestones
- 1927Joins the French Communist Party.
- 1938Wins the Prix Interallié for 'La Conspiration'.
- 1940Killed in action during the Battle of Dunkirk.
Themes
Political commitmentAnti-colonialismSocial alienationCritique of bourgeois philosophyYouth and disillusionment
Sources: id.loc.gov · cheminsdememoire.gouv.fr