André Langevin
André Langevin (July 11, 1927 – February 21, 2009) was a Canadian writer and journalist.[1] He is best known for his Prix du Cercle du livre de France-winning novels Évadé de la nuit (1951) and Poussière sur la ville (1953);[1] Poussière sur la ville was also published in English as Dust Over the City (1955).[2]
Biography
Langevin was born in Montreal, but lost both parents in childhood and spent seven years living in an orphanage.[1] He was educated at the Collège de Montréal, and joined Le Devoir as a journalist in 1945.[1] He also wrote for Le Temps, La Liberté, Le Nouveau Journal and Le Magazin Maclean, and won the Prix Liberté for his journalism in 1967.[1] He was also a news editor for Radio Canada until 1985.
His other novels included Le Temps des hommes (1956), followed by a long period of silence, broken by L'Élan d'Amérique (1972)[3] and Une Chaîne dans le parc (1974).[4] Une Chaîne dans le parc, later translated into English as Orphan Street, was the first Canadian novel ever to be nominated for the Prix Goncourt.[5] He also wrote short stories and dramatic plays for both stage and radio, including Une Nuit d'amour (1954) and L'Oeil du peuple (1957).[1] Dust Over the City was filmed by Arthur Lamothe in 1968. He wrote or, at least, published nothing after 1974.
He was awarded the Prix Athanase-David in 1998 for his body of work.[6] A new edition of his works was published in 2013 by Éditions du Boréal.
References
- "André Langevin". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
- "Dust Over the City by André Langevin". Kirkus Reviews, August 23, 1955.
- "Mourning the end of Antoine the original". The Globe and Mail, January 27, 1973.
- "Tragedy and fantasy in elusive allegory-- perhaps a joyful excorcism for Langevin". The Globe and Mail, September 11, 1976.
- "Andre Langevin, novelist, journalist". Montreal Gazette, February 25, 2009.
- "Recipients of Prix Quebec announced". Montreal Gazette, November 26, 1998.