Michel Tournier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michel Tournier
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| Born | 19 December 1924 Paris, France |
| Died | 18 January 2016 (aged 91) Choisel, Île-de-France, France |
| Language | French |
| Nationality | French |
| Alma mater | Sorbonne |
| Notable awards | Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française Prix Goncourt |
Michel Tournier (born December 19, 1924 – died January 18, 2016) was a famous French writer. He won important awards for his books. For example, he received the Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française in 1967. This was for his book Friday, or, The Other Island. He also won the prestigious Prix Goncourt in 1970 for The Erl-King.
Michel Tournier loved German culture and the Catholic faith. He was also inspired by the ideas of a philosopher named Gaston Bachelard. He lived in a town called Choisel in France. He was a member of the Académie Goncourt, a group of important French writers. Sometimes, people thought he might even win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Michel Tournier's Life Story
Michel Tournier was born in Paris, France. His parents met at the Sorbonne while they were studying German. Michel spent his childhood in Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
He learned German from a young age. Every summer, he would stay in Germany. He studied philosophy at the Sorbonne and at the university of Tübingen. He wanted to teach philosophy in high school. However, he was not able to pass the special exam needed for it, just like his father.
Michel Tournier started working at Radio France. He was a journalist and a translator there. He also hosted a radio show about French culture. Later, in 1954, he worked in advertising for a radio station called Europe 1. He also wrote for famous newspapers like Le Monde and Le Figaro.
From 1958 to 1968, Tournier was the main editor at a publishing company called Plon. In 1967, he published his very first book. It was called Vendredi ou les Limbes du Pacifique. This book was a new version of the classic story Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. For this book, he won the Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française.
In 1970, he helped start the Rencontres d'Arles. This was a famous photography festival. He also created about 50 TV shows called Chambre noire. These shows were about photography and featured interviews with different photographers.
Michel Tournier passed away on January 18, 2016. He was 91 years old and died in Choisel, France.
Famous Books and Stories
Michel Tournier wrote many interesting books. Here are some of his well-known works:
- Vendredi ou les Limbes du Pacifique (Friday) (1967) - This book won the Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française. It's a new take on the story of Robinson Crusoe.
- Le Roi des aulnes (1970) (The Erl-King, also known as The Ogre) - This book won the Prix Goncourt.
- The Erl-King was even made into a movie in 1996. The movie was called Der Unhold (The Ogre). It was directed by Volker Schlöndorff.
- Les Météores (Gemini, 1975)
- Le Vent Paraclet (The Wind Spirit, 1977) - This is his autobiography, telling his life story.
- Vendredi ou la Vie sauvage (Friday and Robinson, 1972) - Another version of the Friday story, often for younger readers.
- Gaspard, Melchior et Balthazar (The Four Wise Men, 1980)
- Le Vol du vampire (1981)
- Gilles et Jeanne (Gilles and Jeanne, 1983)
- La Goutte d'or (The Golden Droplet, 1986)
- Petites Proses (1986)
- Le Medianoche amoureux (The Midnight Love Feast, 1989)
- La Couleuvrine (1994)
- Le Miroir des idées (The Mirror of Ideas, 1994)
- Eléazar ou la Source et le Buisson (Eleazar, Exodus to the West, 1996)
- Journal extime (2002)
See also
In Spanish: Michel Tournier para niños
