Claude Roy (28 August 1915 – 13 December 1997) was a French poet and essayist. He was born and died in Paris.

Biography

After the fall of France during World War II, Roy was captured as a prisoner of war. He later escaped and joined the

French resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

. Initially associated with the political right, by 1943 Roy drifted towards the left under the influence of

Louis Aragon Louis Aragon (, , 3 October 1897 – 24 December 1982) was a French poet who was one of the leading voices of the surrealist movement in France. He co-founded with André Breton and Philippe Soupault the surrealist review ''Littérature''. He ...

and adhered to the

French Communist Party The French Communist Party (french: Parti communiste français, ''PCF'' ; ) is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism. The PCF is a member of the Party of the European Left, and its MEPs sit in the European ...

, openly attacking fascism and Vichy sympathizers. He left the Communist Party after the suppression of the

Hungarian Revolution of 1956 The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (23 October – 10 November 1956; hu, 1956-os forradalom), also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was a countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the Hunga ...

and, as a contributor to ''

Le Nouvel Observateur (), previously known as (1964–2014), is a weekly French news magazine. Based in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris, it is the most prominent French general information magazine in terms of audience and circulation. Its current editor is Cécil ...

'', became a fixture on the anti-totalitarian left. He was a signatory to the

Manifesto of the 121 The Manifesto of the 121 (french: Manifeste des 121, full title: ''Déclaration sur le droit à l’insoumission dans la guerre d’Algérie'' or ''Declaration on the right of insubordination in the Algerian War'') was an open letter signed by 121 i ...

in favor of Algerian independence.

Awards

* 1951 Fénéon Prize for ''Le poète mineur'' * 1969 Prix Valery Larbaud for his book '' Le verbe Aimer et autres essais'' * 1985

Prix Goncourt The Prix Goncourt (french: Le prix Goncourt, , ''The Goncourt Prize'') is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year". The prize carries a symbolic reward o ...

de la Poésie

Works

Non-Fiction

* ''Défense de la littérature'', idées, folio * ''Moi je'', Gallimard, 1969 ; Folio, 1978 * ''Nous'', Gallimard, 1972 ; Folio, 1980 * ''Somme toute'', Gallimard, 1976 ; Folio, 1982. Prix Saint-Simon 1976 * ''Permis de séjour, 1977-1982'', Gallimard, 1983 ; Folio, 1987 * ''La Fleur du temps, 1983-1987'', Gallimard, 1988 ; Folio, 1992 * '' L'Étonnement du voyageur, 1987-1989'', Gallimard, 1990,

prix France Culture The Prix France Culture is a former literary award created in 1979 by the radio station France Culture. In 2006, it was renamed Prix France Culture/Télérama, and its name was used from 2007 replacing the "Prix Arlequin", cinematographic prize aw ...

* ''Le Rivage des jours, 1990-1991'', Gallimard, 1992 * ''Les Rencontres des jours, 1992-1993'', Gallimard, 1995 ; Folio, 1996 * ''Chemins croisés, 1994-1995'', Gallimard, 1997

Novels

* ''La nuit est le manteau des pauvres'', Gallimard, 1949 * ''À tort ou à raison'', Gallimard, 1955 * ''Le Soleil sur la terre'', Gallimard, 1956 * ''Le Malheur d'aimer'', Gallimard, 1958, Folio, 1974 * ''Léone et les siens'', Gallimard, 1963 * ''La Dérobée'', Gallimard, 1968 * ''La Traversée du pont des arts'', Gallimard, 1979, Folio, 1983 * ''L'Ami lointain'', Gallimard, 1987, Folio, 1990

Poetry

* ''L'Enfance de l'Art'', Alger 1942 * ''Clair comme le jour'', 1943 * ''Aragon'',1945 * ''Le bestiaire des amants'', 1946 * ''La nuit est le manteau des pauvres'', 1948 * ''Le Poète mineur'', Gallimard, 1949 * ''L'Élegie des lieux communs'', 1952 * ''La Chine dans un miroir'', 1953 * ''Un seul poème'', Gallimard, 1954 * ''Poésies'', Poésie/Gallimard, 1953 * ''L'amour parle'', 1953 * ''Jules Supervielle'', 1964 * ''La Dérobée'', 1968 * ''Enfantasques'', poèmes et collages, Gallimard, 1974 * ''Nouvelles Enfantasques'', poèmes et collages, Gallimard, 1978 * ''Sais-tu si nous sommes encore loin de la mer ?'' Gallimard, 1979, Poésie/Gallimard, 1983 * ''À la lisière du temps'', Gallimard, 1984 * ''Le Voyage d'automne'', Gallimard, 1987 * ''Le Noir de l'aube'', Gallimard, 1990 * ''Le Voleur de poèmes : Chine, 250 poèmes dérobés du chinois'', Mercure de France, 1991 * ''Les Pas du silence'', suivi de ''Poèmes en amont'', Gallimard, 1993 * ''Poèmes à pas de loup, 1992-1996'', Gallimard, 1997 * ''Hommage à Jules Verne'', Gallimard, 1970

References

* France, Peter (Ed.) (1995). ''The New Oxford Companion to Literature in French.'' Oxford: Clarendon Press. . 1915 births 1997 deaths Writers from Paris French communists French Resistance members Anti-Stalinist left Prix France Culture winners Prix Goncourt de la Poésie winners French male writers Prix Fénéon winners Prix Valery Larbaud winners Prix Guillaume Apollinaire winners French military personnel of World War II French prisoners of war in World War II French escapees {{France-poet-stub