Raymond Queneau

Raymond Queneau died in Paris on 25 October 1976. A novelist, poet, essayist, and mathematician, Queneau was a many-sided figure in French literature, renowned for his bold literary experimentation. His work ranged from surrealism to narratives structured through mathematical patterns. This latter approach gave birth to the OuLiPo movement, which later included Italo Calvino and Georges Perec. His most celebrated novel, Zazie in the Metro, showcases his inventive use of the French language, coining neologisms and abstract terms that capture the flights of the protagonist’s imagination.