Roland Desné facts for kids

Roland Desné (born April 24, 1931 – died July 9, 2020) was a French writer, thinker, and historian. He spent his life studying and teaching about important ideas and history.

About Roland Desné

Roland Desné was born in 1931. His father worked on the railway. When he was young, Roland joined a political group called the French Communist Party with his philosophy teacher, Guy Besse. This group focused on workers' rights and social fairness.

In Paris, a big city in France, Roland met many famous thinkers and writers. Some of them were Louis Aragon, Paul Éluard, and Pierre Soulages. He wrote articles for different magazines and publishers, like France Nouvelle and La Pensée.

His Studies and Teaching Career

Roland Desné was a very dedicated student. He completed a big research project, called a thesis, about a famous French writer named Denis Diderot. He studied at a top school in France, the École normale supérieure de Saint-Cloud.

After his studies, Roland became a university professor. He loved to teach and share his knowledge. He also worked as a researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research, which is a big organization for science and research in France.

Later in his career, he became a professor at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne. There, he started a new department that focused on comparative literature. This means they studied how literature from different countries and cultures compared to each other.

Working with Others and Traveling

Roland Desné often worked with other experts. He studied the ideas of an old French writer named Jean Meslier. For this work, he teamed up with historians like Albert Soboul.

Roland and his group traveled to many places around the world. They visited countries in Eastern Europe, the United States, Japan, and Tunisia. In 1972, they won a special award called the Prix Dumas-Millier for their work on Jean Meslier's writings.

In the 1960s, Roland also worked with Pierre Abraham. They wrote a huge 12-volume book series called Histoire litteraire de la France, which means "Literary History of France."

Roland Desné passed away in Paris on July 9, 2020, when he was 89 years old.