Paul Fournel
Encyclopedia
Paul Fournel is a French writer, poet, publisher, and cultural ambassador. He was educated at the École normale supérieure
of Saint-Cloud (1968–1972). Fournel wrote his master's thesis on Raymond Queneau
and published the first book-length study of the Oulipo
, Clefs pour la littérature potentielle ("Keys to potential literature"). He joined the Oulipo
, first as "slave," then (in 1972) as full member, and he currently serves both as the Provisionally Definitive Secretary and the President of that group. He is also a regent of the College of 'Pataphysics.
Fournel has worked at various publishing houses, notably Hachette, Honoré Champion, Ramsay, and Seghers. From 1996 to 2000 he was director of the Alliance Française
in San Francisco, and from 2000 to 2003 he was the French cultural attaché in Cairo
. He is currently France's cultural attaché in London.
École normale supérieure
An école normale supérieure or ENS is a type of publicly funded higher education in France. A portion of the student body who are French civil servants are called Normaliens....
of Saint-Cloud (1968–1972). Fournel wrote his master's thesis on Raymond Queneau
Raymond Queneau
Raymond Queneau was a French poet and novelist and the co-founder of Ouvroir de littérature potentielle .-Biography:Born in Le Havre, Seine-Maritime, Queneau was the only child of Auguste Queneau and Joséphine Mignot...
and published the first book-length study of the Oulipo
Oulipo
Oulipo is a loose gathering of French-speaking writers and mathematicians which seeks to create works using constrained writing techniques. It was founded in 1960 by Raymond Queneau and François Le Lionnais...
, Clefs pour la littérature potentielle ("Keys to potential literature"). He joined the Oulipo
Oulipo
Oulipo is a loose gathering of French-speaking writers and mathematicians which seeks to create works using constrained writing techniques. It was founded in 1960 by Raymond Queneau and François Le Lionnais...
, first as "slave," then (in 1972) as full member, and he currently serves both as the Provisionally Definitive Secretary and the President of that group. He is also a regent of the College of 'Pataphysics.
Fournel has worked at various publishing houses, notably Hachette, Honoré Champion, Ramsay, and Seghers. From 1996 to 2000 he was director of the Alliance Française
Alliance française
The Alliance française , or AF, is an international organisation that aims to promote French language and culture around the world. created in Paris on 21 July 1883, its primary concern is teaching French as a second language and is headquartered in Paris -History:The Alliance was created in Paris...
in San Francisco, and from 2000 to 2003 he was the French cultural attaché in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. He is currently France's cultural attaché in London.
Publications
- Clefs pour la littérature potentielle, 1972
- L’Equilatère, 1972
- L’histoire véritable de Guignol, 1975
- Les petites filles respirent le même air que nous, 1978
- Les grosses rêveuses, 1981
- Les aventures très douces de Timothée le rêveur, 1982
- Un rocker de trop, 1982
- Les Athlètes dans leur tête, 1988 (adaptée en pièce de théatre avec pour comédien André Dussolier)
- Un homme regarde une femme, 2009
- Le jour que je suis grand, 1995
- Guignol, les Mourguet, 1995
- Pac de Cro détective, 1997
- Toi qui connais du monde, poèmes, 1997
- Alphabet Gourmand, 1998, avec Harry Mathews et Boris Tissot
- Foraine, 1999,
- Besoin de vélo, essai, 2001; Need for the Bike, trans. Allan Stoekl
- Timothée dans l'arbre, 2003,
- Poils de cairote, 2004
- Chamboula, 2007
- Les animaux d'amour, 2007