Jean Genet

Jean Genet (1910–1986) was a French writer and political essayist. He was born in Paris and died there. After spending his childhood with foster parents and in public-care and reform institutions, he served in the military and later lived for periods as a vagabond. He began writing in the 1940s. His work includes poetry, novels and plays, as well as political essays and articles published later in his career. He wrote his first novel, “Our Lady of the Flowers” (Notre-Dame des Fleurs), in prison in 1942. In 1983, Genet received the French National Prize.