Pierre Seghers (5 January 1906, in Paris – 4 November 1987, in Créteil) was a French poet and editor. During the Second World War he took part in the French Resistance movement.
Career He founded, among other things, the famous line of books Poètes d’aujourd’hui (Contemporary poets) in 1944, which published 270 books of poets both famous and unknown (such as an anthology of modern accursed poets in 1972, Poètes maudits d'aujourd'hui: 1946-1970).
Together with François Lachenal, Paul Eluard and Jean Lescure, he gathered in 1943, the texts of many poets of the French Resistance, which he published in Les Editions de Minuit under the title: L’honneur des poètes.
Among the prizes and orders he received, he was made a commander of the Légion d'honneur and in 1976 Laureate Of The International Botev Prize.
He was doctor honoris causa of Saint Andrews University, Scotland.
He is buried at the Montparnasse Cemetery.
An exhibition on his life and work took place in the Musée du Montparnasse in Paris in 2011. A detailed catalogue was then published.
Bibliography
Poetry Bonne-Espérance, Éditions de la Tour, 1939 Pour les quatre saisons, Poésie 42 Le chien de pique, Ides et Calendes, 1943 Le domaine public Poésie 45 et Pariseau Montréal Jeune fille, Éditions Seghers, 1947 Menaces de mort, La presse à bras, 1948 Six poèmes pour Véronique, Poésie 50 Poèmes choisis, Éditions Seghers, 1952 Le Cœur-Volant, Les Écrivains réunis, 1954 Racines, Interc. du Livre, 1956 Les pierres, Interc. du Livre, 1956 Chansons et complaintes, Tome I, illustrated by Jean Pierre Serrier, Éditions Seghers, 1959 Chansons et complaintes, Tome II, Éditions Seghers, 1961 Piranèse, Éditions Ides et Calendes, 1961 Chansons et complaintes, Tome III, Éditions Seghers, 1964 Dialogue, 1965 Dis-moi, Ma vie, 1973 Le Temps des merveilles, Éditions Seghers, 1978
Prose Richaud du Combat, A. A. M. Stols, 1944 L'Homme du commun, Poèsie 44 Considérations, ou Histoires sous la langue, Collection des 150 La Résistance et ses poètes, 1940-1945, Seghers 1974
References
External links
Publishing house homepage Biography of Seghers, in French in 1967, he is interviewed (in French) about his new collection Poètes d’aujourd’hui. Archive of the Télévision suisse romande