Pierre Seghers

Pierre Seghers (5 January 1906, in Paris – 4 November 1987, in Créteil) was a French poet and editor. During the Second World War he took part in the French Resistance movement.

He founded, among other things, the famous line of books Poètes d’aujourd’hui (Contemporary poets) in 1944, which published 270 books of poets both famous and unknown (such as an anthology of modern accursed poets in 1972, Poètes maudits d'aujourd'hui: 1946-1970).

Together with François Lachenal, Paul Eluard and Jean Lescure, he gathered in 1943, the texts of many poets of the French Resistance, which he published in Les Editions de Minuit under the title: L’honneur des poètes.

Among the prizes and orders he received, he was made a commander of the Légion d'honneur and in 1976 Laureate Of The International Botev Prize.

He was doctor honoris causa of Saint Andrews University, Scotland.

He is buried at the Montparnasse Cemetery.

An exhibition on his life and work took place in the Musée du Montparnasse in Paris in 2011. A detailed catalogue was then published.

Source: Article "Pierre Seghers" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.