Andreï Makine
Encyclopedia
Andreï Makine is a Russian-born French author. He also publishes under the pseudonym
Gabriel Osmonde. Makine's novels include Dreams of My Russian Summers
(1995) which won two top French awards, the Prix Goncourt
and the Prix Médicis
.
, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union on 10 September 1957 and grew up in city of Penza
about 440 miles south-east of Moscow. As a boy, having acquired familiarity with France and its language from his French-born grandmother (it is not certain whether Makine had a French grandmother; in later interviews he claimed to have learned French from a friend), he wrote poems in both French and his native Russian.
In 1987, he went to France as member of teacher's exchange program and decided to stay. He was granted political asylum and was determined to make a living as a writer in French. However, Makine had to present his first manuscripts as translations from Russian to overcome publishers' skepticism that a newly arrived exile could write so fluently in a second language. After disappointing reactions to his first two novels, it took eight months to find a publisher for his fourth, Dreams of My Russian Summers. Finally published in 1995 in France, the novel became the first in history to win both the Prix Goncourt
and the Prix Médicis
plus the Goncourt des Lycéens.
In 2001 Makine began secretively publishing as "Gabriel Osmonde", a total of four novels over ten years, the last appearing in 2011. It was a French literary mystery and many speculated about who Osmonde might be. Finally in 2011 a scholar noticed Osmonde's book 20,000 femmes dans la vie d’un homme had been inspired by Makine's Dreams of My Russian Summers and Makine confirmed that he was the author. Explaining why he used a pseudonym
he said, "I wanted to create someone who lived far from the hurly-burly of the world".
Le testament français was published in English as Dreams of My Russian Summers
in the United States, and under its original French title in the United Kingdom. It has also been translated into Russian by Yuliana Yahnina and Natalya Shakhovskaya, and first published in the 12th issue of the Foreign Literature (Иностранная литература) literary magazine
in 1996.
French language links
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Gabriel Osmonde. Makine's novels include Dreams of My Russian Summers
Dreams of My Russian Summers
Dreams of My Russian Summers is a French novel by Andrei Makine, originally published in 1995. It won two top French awards, the Prix Goncourt and the Prix Médicis...
(1995) which won two top French awards, the Prix Goncourt
Prix Goncourt
The Prix Goncourt is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year"...
and the Prix Médicis
Prix Médicis
The Prix Médicis is a French literary award given each year in November. It was founded in 1958 by Gala Barbisan and Jean-Pierre Giraudoux. It is awarded to an author whose "fame does not yet match his talent."...
.
Biography
Andreï Makine was born in KrasnoyarskKrasnoyarsk
Krasnoyarsk is a city and the administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the Yenisei River. It is the third largest city in Siberia, with the population of 973,891. Krasnoyarsk is an important junction of the Trans-Siberian Railway and one of Russia's largest producers of...
, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union on 10 September 1957 and grew up in city of Penza
Penza
-Honors:A minor planet, 3189 Penza, discovered by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh in 1978, is named after the city.-Notable residents:...
about 440 miles south-east of Moscow. As a boy, having acquired familiarity with France and its language from his French-born grandmother (it is not certain whether Makine had a French grandmother; in later interviews he claimed to have learned French from a friend), he wrote poems in both French and his native Russian.
In 1987, he went to France as member of teacher's exchange program and decided to stay. He was granted political asylum and was determined to make a living as a writer in French. However, Makine had to present his first manuscripts as translations from Russian to overcome publishers' skepticism that a newly arrived exile could write so fluently in a second language. After disappointing reactions to his first two novels, it took eight months to find a publisher for his fourth, Dreams of My Russian Summers. Finally published in 1995 in France, the novel became the first in history to win both the Prix Goncourt
Prix Goncourt
The Prix Goncourt is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year"...
and the Prix Médicis
Prix Médicis
The Prix Médicis is a French literary award given each year in November. It was founded in 1958 by Gala Barbisan and Jean-Pierre Giraudoux. It is awarded to an author whose "fame does not yet match his talent."...
plus the Goncourt des Lycéens.
In 2001 Makine began secretively publishing as "Gabriel Osmonde", a total of four novels over ten years, the last appearing in 2011. It was a French literary mystery and many speculated about who Osmonde might be. Finally in 2011 a scholar noticed Osmonde's book 20,000 femmes dans la vie d’un homme had been inspired by Makine's Dreams of My Russian Summers and Makine confirmed that he was the author. Explaining why he used a pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
he said, "I wanted to create someone who lived far from the hurly-burly of the world".
Translations
All of Makine's novels have been translated into English by Geoffrey Strachan.Le testament français was published in English as Dreams of My Russian Summers
Dreams of My Russian Summers
Dreams of My Russian Summers is a French novel by Andrei Makine, originally published in 1995. It won two top French awards, the Prix Goncourt and the Prix Médicis...
in the United States, and under its original French title in the United Kingdom. It has also been translated into Russian by Yuliana Yahnina and Natalya Shakhovskaya, and first published in the 12th issue of the Foreign Literature (Иностранная литература) literary magazine
Literary magazine
A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry and essays along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letters...
in 1996.
External links
- "A writer's life: Andreï Makine", Philip Delves Broughton, The Telegraph, 28 Mar 2004
- "Interview: Andrei Makine - Through the iron curtain to Paris", Natasha Fairweather, The Independent, 31 January 1999
- "Madame Bovary C’est Moi: An Interview With Andreï Makine", Gerry Feehily, 3:AM Magazine, September 1st, 2008
French language links
- Site du collectif de chercheurs sur l'œuvre d'Andreï Makine Autour de l'œuvre d'Andreï Makine
- Critical bibliography (Auteurs.contemporain.info)
- Le Monde selon Gabriel voir le site: Le Monde selon Gabriel
- Murielle Lucie Clément, author of a PhD Thesis Andreï Makine. Présence de l'absence: une poétique de l'art (photographie, cinéma, musique) and many articles on this author.