A Nobel Prize
A Nobel Prize is an international well known reward.
Since 1901, the Nobel Literature Prize has been rewarded
every year to a writer who, according to Alfred Nobel, a
great chemist, did a lot for mankind through the idealistic
power of his work. It exists several Nobel prizes :
Chemistry, Medecine, Literature and peace.
Since 1901, the prizes have been awarded every year, in
Oktober. The delivery of the prizes takes place in Sweden
(Alfred Nobel’s Country) on December 10th to
commemorate the anniversary of his death.
The Nobel Prize for
Literature in France
Sully Prudhomme
1901
René François Armand Prudhomme, Sully
Prudhomme as he was called, was born in
Paris on 16 March 1839 and died in
Chatenay-Malabry on September 6th, 1907
at the age of 68 years old. He was a French
poet, he was the writer who received the
Nobel Prize for literature in 1901.
Throughout his career, Sully Prudhomme
gradually shifted from the sentimental type
that can still be found in « the test » and
the solitudes to adopt a more personal style
that relates to Parnassos with an interest
for scientific and philosophical subjects.
Frédéric Mistral
1904
Frédéric Mistral was born in 1830 in the
village of Maillane. He is considered most
famous in provençal language. His works
are famous all over the world. First praised
by Lamartine, he was awarded the
literature Nobel Prize in 1904. He published
his memories in 1906 in which he recalls his
childhood and his youth up to the creation
of Felibrige and up the publication of
Mirèio in 1859. He died on 25 March 1914.
Some writings : Mireille from which Gounod
wrote an opera ; Calendal ; La reine Jeanne;
les contes provençaux ; les Olivades
Romain Rolland
1915
Romain Rolland was born January 29, 1866
and died December 30, 1944. He is a French
playwright, novelist, art historian and
mystic who was awarded the Nobel Prize
for literature in 1915 in tribute to the
idealism of this literary production and the
sympathy and love for truth with which he
described different types of human beings.
All over his life he looks for a means of
communion between people. His demand
for justice led him to seek peace during and
after the First World War.
Some writings : Clerambault et Pierre et
Luce (1920), le Jeu de l'amour et de la
mort (1925), Pâques-Fleuries (1926), les
Léonides (1928), le Voyage intérieur (1926),
la Cathédrale interrompue (1943).
Anatole France
1921
Anatole France is a french novelist. He was
born in 1844 in Paris. The characteristics of
the writing of Anatole are the uronismand
urban skepticism. His most famous novels
are : l e crime de Sylvestre Bonnard( 1881)
and la rotisserie de la Reine Pedauque
(1893).
He introduced also both bitter satire and
humanitarian concerns into many works,
such as in Monsieur Bergeret à Paris
(1897/1901), reflects his support for Alfred
Dreyfus. Anatole France won the Nobel
Prize for Literature in 1921. He died in 1924
in Paris.
Henri-Louis BERGSON
1927
Henri-Louis BERGSON was the most famous
French philosopher, especially in the first half of
the XXth century. He was born in Paris in 1859
and he died in 1941. He was influenced by Kant
and Spinoza. BERGSON received the Nobel Prize
in 1927. He marked the end of Cartesian period
and the begining of bergsonism. BERGSON
argued that the intuition is deeper than the
intellect.
His famous writings : Essai sur les données
immédiates de la conscience (1889) ; Matière en
mémoire (1896) ; Le rire (1900) ; L’évolution
créatrice (1907) ; L'énergie spirituelle (1919) ; Les
Deux sources de la morale et de la religion (1932) ;
La pensée et le mouvant (1934)
Roger Martin du Gard
1937
Roger Martin du Gard, (born on March 23,
1881, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, died on Aug.
22, 1958, Bellême). He is a French author and
the winner of the 1937 Nobel Prize for
Literature. Trained as a paleographer and an
archivist, Martin du Gard brought to his works
a spirit of objectivity and a scrupulous regard
for details. Du Gard spent his childhood in
Paris, where he attended several schools; but,
due to his poor scholastic performance, he only
completed the equivalency of a high school
education through instruction by a private
tutor, who introduced him to the writings of
renowned authors. The Nobel Prize for
Literature in 1937 was awarded to him for the
artistic power and truth with which he
depicted human conflicts as well as some
fundamental aspects of contemporary life in
his novel-cycle « Les Thibault ».
André Gide
1947
André Gide was born in 1869 in Paris. His
family was from the protestant class. He
was a French major writer in the XXth
century. André GIDE was inspired by the
“dada” movement (elimination of any
likeness). He takes his inspiration from
history or paintings. He obtained the Nobel
prize for literature in 1947. He died in 1951.
Some writings : Le traité de Narcisse (1891) ;
Paludes (1895) ; Les nourritures terrestres
(1897) ; L’immoraliste (1902)
François Mauriac
1952
François Mauriac was born in 1885 in
Bordeaux. He was a French writer.
Mauriac grew up in a pious and strict
Catholic family, and he subsequently placed
at the heart of all his works the soul
grappling with the problems of sin, grace,
and salvation. He is best known for his
austere, psychological novel, including
Jeune Homme Enchainé (1913), le Baiser au
Lépreux (1922), le désert de l’amour (1925),
Thérèse Desqueyroux (1927), le sagouin
(1951) often considered his masterpiece La
Pharisienne (1941). He wrote polemical
works against totalitarianism and fascism
in the 1930s and worked with the Resistance
during World War II. In 1952 he was
awarded the Nobel Prize for literature.
Albert Camus
1957
Albert Camus was born in 1913 in Algeria.
He died in a car accident on January 4th
1960. His life in Algeria influenced his
thought and his works. He was deeply
interested in philosophy. He came to
France when he was 25. He joined the
resistance movement during the occupation
and became a journalist. In all his works, he
looks for moral order in a absurd world.
The revolt is for him an answer to
absurdity. He won the nobel prize for
literature in 1957.
He wrote : l’Etranger (1942), la Peste (1947),
la Chute (1956), l’Exil et le Royaume (1957)
Saint John Perse
1960
Saint John Perse was born in 1887 in
Guadeloupe. Saint John Perse is a
pseudonym, his real name was Alexis Saint
Leger. After his childhood, he studied law in
France. During the 2nd World War, he had
to go into exile in the United States where
he started a career as a poet. He took his
inspiration from Paul Claudel, a French
well-known writer and poet and paid last
respects to him when he died. He wrote
about his childhood in the islands and his
poems are full of images and sounds. They
are a tribute to Creation. He was awarded
the Literature Nobel Prize in 1960, before
being edited in “La Pléiade”, which was the
final tribute to his literary genius. He died
in 1975.
Some writings : Eloges (1967) ; Vents (1968) ;
Amers (1970) ; Œuvres complètes (1972)
Jean-Paul Sartre
1964
Jean-Paul Sartre is a French-language writer,
a philosopher. He was politically active in his
century, also a playwright, a novelist, a short
story writer and an essayist. He was born on
June 21th, 1905 in Paris, died 15 April 1980 at
the age of 74 years old in that city. The works
of Jean-Paul Sartre are rich in philosophical
texts and major essays of unequal length,
essays as Being and Nothingness (1943).
Uncompromising and true to himself and to
his ideas, he always rejected honors. On
December 10th, 1964, he refused the Nobel
Prize for literature, he said, « no man deserves
being dedicated during life ». His had a great
impact all over the world.
Some works : La Nausée (1938) ; Le Mur
(1939) ; Les Chemins de la liberté (1945) ; L’Âge
de raison ; Le Sursis ; La Mort dans l’âme ; Les
mains sales
Claude Simon
1985
Claude Simon was a French writer. He was
born on 10th October in 1913 in
Madagascar. He died in 2005 in Paris . He
received the Nobel prize in 1985. He
painted and he took photos. Simon was
influenced by Proust . In 1950 he met AlainRobbe-Grillet and Michel Butor, he joined
the ''New novel'‘movement.
His famous works : Le Vent (1957) ; L'Herbe
(1958) ; La Route des Flandres (1960) ; Le
Palace (1962) ; Histoire (1967) ; Leçon de
choses (1975) ; L'Invitation (1987)
J.M.G Le Clézio
2008
Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio is a famous
under the signature JMG Le Clézio. He was
born in Nice on April 13, 1940. He is a
French and Mauritian writer. Le Clézio
published novels. He got the Nobel Prize for
literature in 2008 as a writer of new
departures, poetic adventures and sensual
ecstasy. He explores our civilization. He
travelled widely and received many
awards during his lifetime.
Some writings : Le procès-verbal(1963), Le
déluge (1966), Voyages de l'autre côté (1975),
Mondo et autres histoires (1978), Lullaby
(1980), Celui qui n'avait jamais vu la mer
(1982), Pawana (1992, Ritournelle de la faim
(2008)