Pascal Quignard (; born 23 April 1948) is a French writer born in

Verneuil-sur-Avre Verneuil-sur-Avre (, literally ''Verneuil on Avre (Eure), Avre'') is a former Communes of France, commune in the Eure Departments of France, department in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy in northern France. On 1 January 2017, it was me ...

Eure Eure ( ; ; or ) is a department in the administrative region of Normandy, northwestern France, named after the river Eure. Its prefecture is Évreux. In 2021, Eure had a population of 598,934.Prix Goncourt The 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 of only 10 euros, but resul ...

, France's top literary prize. ''Terrasse à Rome'' (''A Terrace in Rome''), received the French Academy prize in 2000. In 1980 ''Carus'' had been awarded the Prix des Critiques. He also won the 2023 Prix Formentor. Among Quignard's most commented-upon works are his eighty-four "Little Treatises" (''Petits traités''), first published in 1990 by Maeght. But his most popular book is probably ''

All the World's Mornings ''All the World's Mornings'' () is a 1991 novel by Pascal Quignard. It is a story of the apprenticeship of Marin Marais in the house of the austere, reclusive and mysterious violist, Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe, obsessed with his late wife, an ...

'' (''Tous les matins du monde''), about 17th-century viola de gamba player

Marin Marais Marin Marais (; 31 May 1656, in Paris – 15 August 1728, in Paris) was a French composer and viol player. He studied composition with Jean-Baptiste Lully, often conducting his operas, and with master of the bass viol Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe ...

and his teacher, Sainte-Colombe, which was adapted for the screen in 1991, by director

Alain Corneau Alain Corneau (7 August 1943 – 30 August 2010) was a French film director and writer. Corneau was born in Meung-sur-Loire, Loiret. Originally a musician, he worked with Costa-Gavras as an assistant, which was also his first opportunity to work ...

. Quignard wrote the screenplay of the film, in collaboration with Corneau. '' Tous les matins du monde'', starring

Jean-Pierre Marielle Jean-Pierre Marielle (12 April 1932 – 24 April 2019) was a French actor. He appeared in more than a hundred films in which he played very diverse roles, from a banal citizen (''Les Galettes de Pont-Aven''), to a World War II hero (''Les Milles ...

Gérard Depardieu Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu (, , ; born 27 December 1948) is a French actor. An icon of French cinema, considered a world star in the same way as Alain Delon or Brigitte Bardot, he has completed over 250 films since 1967, most of which as ...

and son

Guillaume Depardieu Guillaume Jean Maxime Antoine Depardieu (7 April 1971 – 13 October 2008) was a French actor, winner of a César Award, and the second oldest child of Gérard Depardieu. Early life Depardieu was the son of actor Gérard Depardieu and his first ...

, was a tremendous success in France and sold 2 million tickets in the first year. It was subsequently distributed in 31 countries, and released in 1992 in the United States. The soundtrack was certified platinum (500,000 copies) and contributed to musician

Jordi Savall Jordi Savall i Bernadet (; born 1 August 1941) is a Spanish Conducting, conductor, composer and viol player. He has been one of the major figures in the field of Western early music since the 1970s, largely responsible for popularizing the viol ...

’s international celebrity. Quignard has also translated works from the Latin (Porcius Latro), Chinese (Kong-souen Long), and Greek (Lycophron).

Works

Novels, novellas, récit

* ''Le Lecteur'' ( Gallimard, 1976) * ''Carus'' (Gallimard, 1979) * ''Les Tablettes de buis d’Apronenia Avitia'' (Gallimard, 1984). ''On Wooden Tablets: Apronenia Avitia'', trans. Bruce X ( Burning Deck, 2001) * ''Le Salon du Wurtemberg'' (Gallimard, 1986). ''The Salon in Württemberg'', trans. Barbara Bray ( Grove Weidenfeld, 1991) * ''Les Escaliers de Chambord'' (Gallimard, 1989) * ''Tous les matins du monde'' (Gallimard, 1991). ''

'', trans. James Kirkup (

Graywolf Press Graywolf Press is an independent, non-profit publisher located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Graywolf Press publishes fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Graywolf Press collaborates with organizations such as the College of Saint Benedict, the Mel ...

, 1993) * ''L'Amour conjugal'' (Patrice Trigano, 1994) * ''L'Occupation américaine'' ( Seuil, 1994) * ''Dernier Royaume'' (''Last Kingdom'') series (1997–ongoing): *# ''Les Ombres errantes'' ( Grasset, 2002). '' The Roving Shadows'', trans. Chris Turner (Seagull Books, 2011) *# ''Sur le jadis'' (Grasset, 2002). ''The Fount of Time'', trans. Chris Turner (Seagull Books, 2021) *# ''Abîmes'' (Grasset, 2002). ''Abysses'', trans. Chris Turner (Seagull Books, 2015) *# ''Les Paradisiaques'' (Grasset, 2005). ''The Paradisiacs'', trans. John Taylor (Seagull Books, 2026) *# ''Sordidissimes'' (Grasset, 2005) *# ''La Barque silencieuse'' (Le Seuil, 2009). ''The Silent Crossing'', trans. Chris Turner (Seagull Books, 2013) *# ''Les Désarçonnés'' (Grasset, 2012). ''The Unsaddled'', trans. John Taylor (Seagull Books, 2023) *# ''Vie secrète'' (Gallimard, 1997) *# ''Mourir de penser'' (Grasset, 2014). ''Dying of Thinking'', trans. John Taylor (Seagull Books, 2024) *# ''L'Enfant d'Ingolstadt'' (Grasset, 2018) *# ''L'Homme aux trois lettres'' (Grasset, 2020) *# ''Les Heures heureuses'' (Albin Michel, 2023) * ''Terrasse à Rome'' (Gallimard, 2000). ''A Terrace in Rome'', trans. Douglas Penick and Charles Ré (Wakefield Press, 2016) * ''Requiem'' (Galilée, 2006) * ''Villa Amalia (''Gallimard, 2006). '' Villa Amalia'', trans. Chris Turner (Seagull Books, 2018) * ''Le Petit Cupidon'' (Galilée, 2006) * ''Les Solidarités mystérieuses'' (Gallimard, 2011). ''Mysterious Solidarities'', trans. Chris Turner (Seagull Books, 2021) * ''Les Larmes'' (Grasset, 2016). ''The Tears'', trans. Chris Turner (Seagull Books, 2023) * ''Dans ce jardin qu'on aimait'' (Grasset, 2017) * ''L'Amour, la Mer'' (Gallimard, 2022)

Short stories

* ''Éthelrude et Wolframm'' (Galilée, 2006) * ''Le Secret du domaine'', illustrations by Jean Garonnaire (Éditions de l’Amitié, 1980). Reprinted in 2006 under the title ''L'Enfant au visage couleur de la mort'' * ''Triomphe du temps'' (Galilée, 2006) * ''Princesse Vieille Reine'' (Galilée, 2015) * ''Le Chant du marais'' (Chandeigne, 2016)

Essays and other

* ''L'Être du balbutiement'' (

Mercure de France The () was originally a French gazette and literary magazine first published in the 17th century, but after several incarnations has evolved as a publisher, and is now part of the Éditions Gallimard publishing group. The gazette was publis ...

, 1969) * ''La Parole de la Délie : essai sur Maurice Scève'' (Mercure de France, 1974) * ''Michel Deguy'' (Seghers, 1975) * ''Sarx'' (Maeght, 1977). ''Sarx'', trans. Keith Waldrop (

Burning Deck Press Burning Deck was a small press specializing in the publication of experimental poetry and prose. Burning Deck was founded by the writers Keith Waldrop and Rosmarie Waldrop in 1961 and closed in 2017. Overview Although the Waldrops initially promot ...

, 1997) * ''Petits traités'' (''Little Treatises'') series (1981–90): ** ''Petits traités'', Book I (Clivages, 1981) ** ''Petits traités'', Book II (Clivages, 1983) ** ''Petits traités'', Book III (Clivages, 1984) ** ''Petits traités'', Books I to VIII (Maeght, 1990) * ''Le Vœu de silence: essai sur Louis-René des Forêts'' (éditions Fata Morgana, 1985) * ''Albucius'' (POL, 1990). ''Albucius'', trans. Bruce Boone (The Lapis Press, 1992) * ''Le Sexe et l'Effroi'' (Gallimard, 1994). ''Sex and Terror'', trans. Chris Turner (Seagull Books, 2011) * ''La Haine de la musique'' (

Calmann-Lévy Calmann-Lévy is a French publishing house founded in 1836 by Michel Lévy as Michel Lévy frères. His brother Kalmus Calmann Lévy joined in 1844. After Michel's death in 1875, the firm was renamed ''Calmann Lévy''.Yale University Press Yale University Press is the university press of Yale University. It was founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day and Clarence Day, grandsons of Benjamin Day, and became a department of Yale University in 1961, but it remains financially and ope ...

, 2016) * ''La Nuit sexuelle'' (

Flammarion Flammarion may refer to: * Camille Flammarion (1842–1925), French astronomer and author * Gabrielle Renaudot Flammarion (1877–1962), French astronomer, second wife of Camille Flammarion * Sylvie Flammarion (1836-1919), French feminist and paci ...

, 2007). ''The Sexual Night'', trans. Chris Turner (Seagull Books, 2015) * ''La Réponse à Lord Chandos'' (Éditions Galilée, 2020). ''The Answer to Lord Chandos'', trans. Stéphanie Boulard and Timothy Lavenz ( Wakefield Press, 2024)

Books translated in English

* ''The Salon in Württemberg'', trans. Barbara Bray (Grove Weidenfeld, 1991) * ''Albucius'', trans. Bruce Boone (The Lapis Press, 1992) * ''

'', trans. James Kirkup (Graywolf Press, 1993) * ''Sarx'', trans. Keith Waldrop (

, 1997) * ''On Wooden, 1997 Tablets: Apronenia Avitia'' (Burning Deck Press, 2001) * '' The Roving Shadows'', trans. Chris Turner (Seagull Books, 2011) * ''Sex and Terror'', trans. Chris Turner (Seagull Books, 2011) * ''The Silent Crossing'', trans. Chris Turner (Seagull Books, 2013) * ''Abysses'', trans. Chris Turner (Seagull Books, 2015) * ''The Sexual Night'', trans. Chris Turner (Seagull Books, 2015) * ''A Terrace in Rome'', trans. Douglas Penick and Charles Ré (Wakefield Press, 2016) * ''The Hatred of Music'', trans. Matthew Amos and Fredrik Rönnbäck (

Yale University Press Yale University Press is the university press of Yale University. It was founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day and Clarence Day, grandsons of Benjamin Day, and became a department of Yale University in 1961, but it remains financially and ope ...

, 2016) * '' Villa Amalia'', trans. Chris Turner (Seagull Books, 2018) * ''Mysterious Solidarities'', trans. Chris Turner (Seagull Books, 2021) * ''The Fount of Time'', trans. Chris Turner (Seagull Books, 2021) * ''The Tears'', trans. Chris Turner (Seagull Books, 2023) * ''The Unsaddled'', trans. John Taylor (Seagull Books, 2023) * ''Dying of Thinking'', trans. John Taylor (Seagull Books, 2024)

Awards and honours

* 1980: Prix des Critiques, for ''Carus'' * 1991:

Prix de la langue française The is chronologically the first grand prix of the literary season in France. Established in 1986 by the city of Brive-la-Gaillarde in the department of Corrèze, this prize rewards the work of a personality of the literary, artistic or scientific ...

* 1998: Grand prix de littérature de la SGDL, for ''Vie secrète'' * 1998: Grand prix du roman de la Ville de Paris * 2000:

Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française The is a French literary award, created in 1914, and given each year by the Académie Française. Along with the Prix Goncourt The Prix Goncourt ( , "The Goncourt Prize") is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the ...

, for ''Terrasse à Rome'' * 2000: Prix de la Fondation Prince Pierre de Monaco * 2002:

Prix Goncourt The 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 of only 10 euros, but resul ...

, for ''Les Ombres errantes'' * 2006: Grand prix Jean Giono, for ''Villa Amalia'' * 2023: Prix Formentor for his body of work

References

External links

Biography

Critical bibliography (Auteurs.contemporain.info)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quignard, Pascal 1948 births Living people People from Eure Writers from Normandy 20th-century French novelists 21st-century French novelists Prix Goncourt winners Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française winners Prix France Culture winners Grand prix Jean Giono recipients French male novelists Officers of the Legion of Honour Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres 20th-century French male writers 21st-century French male writers