Jean Giono

Vocation

Lifestyle

Notable

French self-taught writer of essays, poetry, plays, film scripts, translations and over thirty novels. Giono was an avid reader in his youth. WW I and the horrors he experienced on the front turned him into a lifelong and ardent pacifist. In 1929 he published his first novel, Colline , followed by two more novels heavily influenced by Virgil and Homer, Un de Baumugnes (1929) and Regain (1930), the three together comprising the famous Pan Trilogy. Marcel Pagnol based three of his films on Giono’s work of this period. During WW II, Giono was imprisoned briefly for subordination. After the war he was imprisoned again for 5 months accused of supporting the Vichy-regime (he was freed without charges being laid). This led to his being blacklisted, so that for three years he was barred from publication. His work changes in this period from mythic to historical. Although Les deux cavaliers de l’orage, that he started in 1934 and finished in 1950, combines mythical and historical elements in the tragic battle between two brothers. Giono’s work has won many prizes and was often filmed. He remained tied to Provence and Manosque his all life. In his memory the yearly literary prize: Prix Giono, was founded in 1990. Link to Wikipedia biography