Queneau, Raymond

(1903-1976)

   writer

   A French surrealist poet and humorous novelist, Raymond Queneau was born in Le Havre and received a degree in philosophy. From 1924 to 1929, he contributed to Révolution surréaliste, developing his ideas and writing style. Queneau's prose evokes various insolent and precious characters (Les Enfants du limon, 1938), through whom he seeks to denounce the world's absurdity (Le Chiendent, 1933; Pierrot mon ami, 1942; Loin de Rueil, 1944; Zazie dans le métro, 1959; Les Fleurs bleus, 1965; La Void'Icare, 1968). He also sought to point out contradictions in language itself and the development of a new type of French, based on the spoken language or argot (Exercises de style, 1947 and 1963). For this purpose, he created ouLiPo, the acronym for ouvroir de Littérature Potentielle, an experimental literary workshop founded by Queneau and other leading writers, where various theoretical writings were developed (Bâtons, Chiffres et Lettres, 1950 and 1965). Queneau was named to the Académie Goncourt in 1951.