Édouard Louis
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Édouard Louis (born Eddy Bellegueule; 30 October 1992) is a French writer and sociologist.


Biography

Édouard Louis, born Eddy Bellegueule was born and raised in the town of Hallencourt in northern France, which is the setting of his first novel, the autobiographical ' (2014; published in English in 2018 as '' The End of Eddy''). Louis grew up in a poor family supported by government welfare: his father was a factory worker for a decade until "One day at work, a storage container fell on him and crushed his back, leaving him bedridden, on morphine for the pain" and unable to work. His mother found occasional work bathing the elderly. The poverty, racism, alcoholism and his homosexuality which he dealt with in his family during his childhood would become the subject of his literary work. He is the first in his family to attend university. In 2011, he was admitted to two of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in France, the
École Normale Supérieure École or Ecole may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by Secondary education in France, secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing i ...
and to the
School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences The School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (, EHESS) is a graduate ''grande école'' and '' grand établissement'' in Paris focused on academic research in the social sciences. The school awards Master and PhD degrees alone and conjo ...
in Paris. In 2013, he officially changed his name to Édouard Louis. The same year, he edited the collective work, ''Pierre Bourdieu. L'insoumission en héritage'', which analyses the influence of
Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu (, ; ; ; 1 August 1930 – 23 January 2002) was a French sociologist and public intellectual. Bourdieu's contributions to the sociology of education, the theory of sociology, and sociology of aesthetics have achieved wide influ ...
on critical thinking and political emancipation.Présentation de l'ouvrage sur l
Site de l'éditeur
.
In 2014 he published ''En finir avec Eddy Bellegueule'', an autobiographical novel. The book was the subject of extensive media attention and was hailed for its literary merit and compelling story. The book also generated debate and controversy over social perception of the working class. It was a bestseller in France and has been translated into more than 20 languages. In September 2015, Édouard Louis wrote an open letter, "Manifesto for an Intellectual and Political Counteroffensive", together with philosopher
Geoffroy de Lagasnerie Geoffroy de Lagasnerie (born 1981) is a French philosopher and sociologist. He is the author of several books, articles and lectures pertaining to social and political philosophy, epistemology and critical theory, and the sociology of culture ...
. In the letter, which was published on the front page of ''
Le Monde (; ) is a mass media in France, French daily afternoon list of newspapers in France, newspaper. It is the main publication of Le Monde Group and reported an average print circulation, circulation of 480,000 copies per issue in 2022, including ...
'', and was later reprinted in English by the ''
Los Angeles Review of Books The ''Los Angeles Review of Books'' (''LARB'' is a literary review magazine covering the national and international book scenes. A preview version launched on Tumblr in April 2011, and the official website followed one year later in April 201 ...
'', Louis and Lagasnerie denounce the legitimization of right-wing agendas in public discourse and establish principles by which leftist intellectuals should reengage in public debate. In 2016, Louis published his second novel, '' History of Violence''. In recounting the story of his rape and attempted murder on Christmas Eve of 2012, the autobiographical novel centres around the cyclical and self-perpetuating nature of violence in society. In May 2017 Louis wrote "Why My Father Votes for Le Pen", an op-ed that was published on the front page of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''. In the piece, published on the eve of the French presidential election, Louis argued that the rise in popularity of nationalist and right-wing politicians among working class and poor voters in France was a result of changing priorities on the left. In May 2018, Louis released his third novel, ''Qui a tué mon père'' ('' Who Killed My Father''), in which he expands upon this theme. He explores the deteriorating health of his father, who had been severely injured in an industrial accident, and the additional bodily harm he endures as a result of political decisions that reduced his financial support and forced him back to work. As with Louis prior novels, '' Who Killed My Father'' has been adapted to the stage by numerous directors, including an adaptation by Ivo van Hove, which premiered at the
Young Vic The Young Vic Theatre is a performing arts venue located on The Cut, near the South Bank, in the London Borough of Lambeth. The Young Vic was established by Frank Dunlop in 1970. Nadia Fall has been artistic director since 2025, succeeding ...
theatre in London, and another by
Thomas Ostermeier Thomas Ostermeier (born 3 September 1968, Soltau, West Germany) is a German theatre director. He currently mainly works for the Schaubühne. Ostermeier is fluent in German, French and English. Career Ostermeier began his theatrical career in 1 ...
which starred Louis himself in a one-man show which was first staged at Berlin's Schaubühne theatre and later at St Anne's Warehouse. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux released the English translation of Louis' forth novel, ''A Woman's Battles and Transformations'' in 2022.


Style and influences

The work of Édouard Louis maintains a fine link with sociology: the influence of
Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu (, ; ; ; 1 August 1930 – 23 January 2002) was a French sociologist and public intellectual. Bourdieu's contributions to the sociology of education, the theory of sociology, and sociology of aesthetics have achieved wide influ ...
pervades his novels, which invoke the themes of social exclusion, domination, and poverty. The influence of
William Faulkner William Cuthbert Faulkner (; September 25, 1897 â€“ July 6, 1962) was an American writer. He is best known for William Faulkner bibliography, his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, a stand-in fo ...
is also revealed through Louis' superposition in the same sentence of various levels of language – placing the popular vernacular at the heart of his writing. Louis' novel ''Histoire de la violence'' contains an essay on Faulkner's novel ''
Sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred space, sacred place, such as a shrine, protected by ecclesiastical immunity. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This seconda ...
''. The author says that, by working with various levels of language, he wants to use violence as a literary subject, "I want to make violence a literary space, like
Marguerite Duras Marguerite Germaine Marie Donnadieu (, 4 April 1914 – 3 March 1996), known as Marguerite Duras (), was a French novelist, playwright, screenwriter, essayist, and experimental filmmaker. Her script for the film ''Hiroshima mon amour'' (1959) ea ...
made a literary space of madness or as
Claude Simon Claude Eugène Henri Simon (; 10 October 1913 – 6 July 2005) was a French novelist and recipient of the 1985 Nobel Prize in Literature. Biography Claude Simon was born in Tananarive on the isle of Madagascar. His parents were French, an ...
made war into a literary space, or as Hervé Guibert did with sickness." Louis has said that his primary contemporary influence was French sociologist Didier Eribon, whose book ''Returning to Reims'', Louis says "marked a turning point for his future as a writer." He has also included
James Baldwin James Arthur Baldwin (né Jones; August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American writer and civil rights activist who garnered acclaim for his essays, novels, plays, and poems. His 1953 novel '' Go Tell It on the Mountain'' has been ranked ...
and
Simone de Beauvoir Simone Lucie Ernestine Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir (, ; ; 9 January 1908 – 14 April 1986) was a French existentialist philosopher, writer, social theorist, and feminist activist. Though she did not consider herself a philosopher, nor was she ...
amongst "the writers who have meant the most to me".


Works


Novels

* French-language version. ** English-language version. * French-language version. ** English-language version. * French-language version. ** English-language version. * French-language version. ** ''A Woman's Battles and Transformations''. Translated by Aw, Tash.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG) is an American book publishing company, founded in 1946 by Roger Williams Straus Jr. and John C. Farrar. FSG is known for publishing literary books, and its authors have won numerous awards, including Pulitzer P ...
. 2022. ISBN 978-0374606749. English-language version. * French-language version. ** ''Change''. Translated by Lambert, John. 2024. English-language version. * French-language version. * French-language version.


Non-fiction

* ''Pierre Bourdieu. L'insoumission en héritage'', Édouard Louis (editor), Annie Ernaux, Didier Eribon, Arlette Farge,
Frédéric Lordon Frédéric Lordon (born 15 January 1962) is a French economist and philosopher, CNRS Director of Research at the Centre européen de sociologie et de science politique' in Paris. He is an influential figure in France's Nuit debout movement and ...
, Geoffroy de Lagasnerie et Frédéric Lebaron, (
Presses Universitaires de France Presses universitaires de France (PUF; ), founded in 1921 by Paul Angoulvent (1899–1976), is a French publishing house. Recent company history The financial and legal structure of the Presses Universitaires de France was completely restruc ...
, 2013; ). * ''Foucault contre lui-même'' = "Foucault against himself". (editor), Édouard Louis (director), avec Geoffroy de Lagasnerie, Arlette Farge, Didier Eribon, (
Presses Universitaires de France Presses universitaires de France (PUF; ), founded in 1921 by Paul Angoulvent (1899–1976), is a French publishing house. Recent company history The financial and legal structure of the Presses Universitaires de France was completely restruc ...
, 2014; ).


Awards

* 2014 : Pierre Guénin Prize against
homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...
and for equal rights, for his work ''.''


Notes and references


External links


Blog of Édouard Louis
* 201
review of ''The End of Eddy''
in ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' * 201
review of ''The End of Eddy''
in
Literomania
' by Adina Dinițoiu {{DEFAULTSORT:Louis, Edouard 1992 births Living people French gay writers French LGBTQ rights activists École Normale Supérieure alumni French essayists French male essayists French LGBTQ novelists