Christian Gailly

{{Infobox person | name = | image = | imagesize = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = 14 January 1943 | birth_place = Paris | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2013|10|04|1943|01|14}} | death_place = Paris | othername = | occupation = Writer | years_active = | spouse = | signature = }}

'''Christian Gailly''' ({{IPA|fr|kʁistjɑ̃ ɡaji}}; 14 January 1943 – 4 October 2013) was a French writer.

== Biography == Born in Paris, Gailly first tried to make a career as a jazz saxophonist, then opened a psychoanalyst practice. He began to be published in the 1980s thanks to Jérôme Lindon.<ref name="Liberation.fr 2002-01-10">{{cite news|url=http://www.liberation.fr/livres/2002/01/10/christian-gailly-entre-le-jazz-et-l-age-avoue_389931|title=Christian Gailly, entre le jazz et l'âge avoué|author=Jean-Baptiste Harang|year= 2002|newspaper=Libération}}</ref><ref name="Liberation.fr-AFP 2013-10-07">{{Cite web|url=http://www.liberation.fr/livres/2013/10/07/deces-de-l-ecrivain-christian-gailly_937556|title=Décès de l'écrivain Christian Gailly|year = 2013|publisher=AFP}}</ref><ref name="Lemonde.fr 2010-01-21">{{cite news|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/livres/article/2010/01/21/christian-gailly-la-beaute-n-est-pas-transmissible_1294710_3260.html|title=Christian Gailly : "La beauté n'est pas transmissible|author=Amaury da Cunha|year= 2010|newspaper=Le Monde}}</ref>

His novel ''L'Incident'' was adapted to cinema by Alain Resnais under the title ''Les Herbes folles'' in 2009. ''Un soir au club'', winner of the prix du Livre Inter in 2002, which sold 170,000 copies, was adapted by Jean Achache.<ref name="Lefigaro.fr 2009-11-18">{{Cite news |url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/cinema/2009/11/18/03002-20091118ARTFIG00013-un-soir-au-club-l-indomptable-demon-du-jazz-.php|title=Un soir au club, l'indomptable démon du jazz|author=Olivier Delcroix|year=2009|newspaper=Le Figaro |language=fr}}</ref><ref name="Lemonde.fr 2013-10-07">{{cite news|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/disparitions/article/2013/10/07/l-ecrivain-christian-gailly-est-mort_3491142_3382.html|title=L'écrivain Christian Gailly est mort|year = 2013|newspaper=Le Monde}}</ref> ''Nuage rouge'', published in 2000, was awarded the prix France Culture.<ref name="Lemonde.fr 2013-10-07"/> His latest work is a collection of short stories, ''La roue, et autres nouvelles'', published in January 2012.

== Themes == Close to the minimalist mouvement,<ref name="Lemonde.fr 2010-01-21"/> he was a member of the groupe of the éditions de Minuit to which belonged also among others Jean Echenoz, Jean-Philippe Toussaint and Christian Oster. Rhythmic style and absurd imbroglios are the trademark of his novels. His novels deal mainly with impossible loves, loneliness, sickness and death, but also with other daily tragedies that he tackles in a light tone, sometimes close to gaiety.<ref name="Lefigaro.fr 2013-10-07">{{cite news|url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/2013/10/07/03004-20131007ARTFIG00306-christian-gailly-mort-du-romancier-des-herbes-folles.php|title=Christian Gailly : mort du romancier des ''Herbes folles'' |author=Dominique Guiou |author2=Olivier Delcroix|year= 2013|newspaper=Le Figaro}}</ref> His writings nevertheless maintain a connection with his love of music, especially jazz, in novels such as ''Be-Bop'' and ''Un soir au club''.<ref name="Nouvelobs.com 2013-10-07">{{cite magazine|url=http://bibliobs.nouvelobs.com/actualites/20131007.OBS0031/mort-de-christian-gailly-l-ecrivain-de-jazz.html|title=Mort de Christian Gailly, "l'écrivain de jazz"|author=Gilles Anquetil|year=2013|magazine=Le Nouvel Observateur}}</ref> The influence of American culture, especially cinema, is very present in ''Les Évadés'' or ''Lily et Braine''.

His writings often highlight very concrete details which gradually take on great importance, since, according to the author, his stories are sprinkled with "clues, elements, objects, details".<ref>Interview with Chr. Gailly, Nouvel Obs, 07 Oct. 2013, see https://bibliobs.nouvelobs.com/actualites/20131007.OBS0031/mort-de-christian-gailly-l-ecrivain-de-jazz.html</ref>

== Works == All the works of Christian Gailly are published at éditions de Minuit.<ref name="Leseditionsdeminuit.com fiche">{{Cite web|url=http://www.leseditionsdeminuit.com/f/index.php?sp=livAut&auteur_id=1419|title=Présentation de Christian Gailly|publisher=Éditions de Minuit}}</ref> *1987: {{Cite book|title=Dit-il|year=1987|publisher=Éditions de Minuit|location=Paris|pages=192|isbn=978-2-7073-1146-7}} *1989: {{Cite book|title=K. 622|publisher=Éditions de Minuit|location=Paris|pages=128|isbn=978-2-7073-1299-0}} *1991: {{Cite book|title=L'Air|year=1991|publisher=Éditions de Minuit|location=Paris|pages=160|isbn=978-2-7073-1373-7}} *1992: {{Cite book|title=Dring|year=1991|publisher=Éditions de Minuit|location=Paris|pages=160|isbn=978-2-7073-1411-6}} *1993: {{Cite book|title=Les Fleurs|year=1993|publisher=Éditions de Minuit|location=Paris|pages=96|isbn=978-2-7073-1468-0}} *1995: {{Cite book|title=Be-Bop|year=1995|publisher=Éditions de Minuit|location=Paris|pages=192|isbn=978-2-7073-1514-4}} *1996: {{Cite book|title=L'Incident|year=1996|publisher=Éditions de Minuit|location=Paris|pages=256|isbn=978-2-7073-1567-0}} *1997: {{Cite book|title=Les Évadés|year=1997|publisher=Éditions de Minuit|location=Paris|pages=256|isbn=978-2-7073-1600-4}} *1998: {{Cite book|title=La Passion de Martin Fissel-Brandt|year=1998|publisher=Éditions de Minuit|location=Paris|pages=144|isbn=978-2-7073-1645-5}} *2000: {{Cite book|title=Nuage rouge|year=2000|publisher=Éditions de Minuit|location=Paris|pages=192|isbn=978-2-7073-1696-7}}, Prix France Culture, 2000 *2001: {{Cite book|title=Un soir au club|publisher=Éditions de Minuit|year=2002|location=Paris|pages=176|isbn=978-2-7073-1773-5}}, Prix du Livre Inter, 2002 *2004: {{Cite book|title=Dernier amour|year=2004|publisher=Éditions de Minuit|location=Paris|pages=128|isbn=978-2-7073-1885-5}} *2007: {{Cite book|title=Les Oubliés|year=2007|publisher=Éditions de Minuit|location=Paris|pages=144|isbn=978-2-7073-1977-7}} *2010: {{Cite book|title=Lily et Braine|year=2010|publisher=Éditions de Minuit|location=Paris|pages=192|isbn=978-2-7073-2090-2}} *2012: {{Cite book|title=La Roue et autres nouvelles|year=2012|publisher=Éditions de Minuit|location=Paris|pages=128|isbn=978-2-70732-1923}}

== About the author == * {{Cite book|title =Christian Gailly, l'écriture qui sauve|publisher=PU Saint-Etienne|series=Lire au présent |editor=Elisa Bricco |editor2=Christine Jérusalem |year=2007|location=Saint-Étienne|page=184|isbn=978-2-86272-468-3}} * {{Cite book|title =La relation écriture-lecture : Cheminements contemporains|publisher=L'Harmattan|series=Critiques Littéraires|author=Elin Beate Tobiassen|year=2009|location=Paris|page=179|isbn=978-2-296-10714-4}} * {{Cite book|title =Décapage, n° 49|publisher=Flammarion|year=2014|location=Paris|page=157|isbn=978-2-081-33090-0}} * {{Cite book|title =Ironie dans le roman français depuis 1980 : Echenoz, Chevillard, Toussaint Gailly|publisher=L'Harmattan|series=Critiques Littéraires|author=Jia Zhao|year=2012|location=Paris|pages=306|isbn=978-2-336-00838-7}}

The following book gives voice to four translators of Gailly's works: * {{Cite book|title =Vingt-troisièmes assises de la traduction littéraire (Arles 2006) : Paroles en musique|publisher=Actes Sud|series=Essais Littéraires|year=2007|location=Arles|pages=244|isbn=978-2-7427-7201-8}} Collectif, avec Christian Doumet, Patrick Quillier, Jean-Yves Masson, Robert Davreu, Heinz Schwarzinger, Mike Sens, Claire Jatosti.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.actes-sud.fr/catalogue/actes-de-colloque/actes-des-vingt-troisiemes-assises-de-la-traduction-litteraire |title=Actes des vingt-troisièmes assises de la traduction littéraire {{!}} Actes Sud |website=www.actes-sud.fr |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920031939/http://www.actes-sud.fr/catalogue/actes-de-colloque/actes-des-vingt-troisiemes-assises-de-la-traduction-litteraire |archive-date=2010-09-20}} </ref>

== References == {{Reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gailly, Christian}} Category:1943 births Category:Writers from Paris Category:20th-century French novelists Category:21st-century French novelists Category:Prix du Livre Inter winners Category:Prix France Culture winners Category:2013 deaths