Constructing an overview of Jean Anouilh’s life is no mean feat, given his reluctance to reveal anything on the topic; his “memoirs”, published in 1987, are mostly anecdotes and non-dit. In a letter to Hubert Gignoux in 1946, Anouilh famously stated: “je n’ai pas de biographie, et j’en suis très content” [I have no biography and that suits me very well]. However, we can establish that he was born 23 June 1910 in Bordeaux to working class parents. His father was a tailor and his mother a piano teacher. From the age of twelve Anouilh drafted plays in verse, inspired by first-half performances of his mother’s shows at the Casino d’Arcachon before bedtime. Anouilh also wished to emulate his …
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Citation: Boothroyd, Edward. "Jean Anouilh". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 02 July 2010 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=119, accessed 22 November 2024.]
