Emmanuel Roblès
Emmanuel Roblès was a notable Algerian-born French writer, born in Oran, Algeria, on May 4, 1914. He grew up in a multilingual environment, mastering both French and Arabic, and pursued his studies at the University of Algiers, majoring in Spanish. Following his military service during the period when Algeria was a French colony, Roblès became involved with the Free French Forces during World War II, participating in hazardous missions over occupied Europe. After the war, he relocated to France, where he established a successful writing career, creating novels, plays, and screenplays. His significant works include the 1947 novel "Les Hauteurs de la ville," the 1948 play "Montserrat," and a screenplay for Luchino Visconti's film adaptation of Albert Camus's "L'Étranger." Roblès was also influential in assisting fellow French-Algerian writers in getting published. In recognition of his contributions to literature, he was elected to the Goncourt Academy in 1973 and lived in Blois until his death on February 22, 1995. The city honors his legacy with the Emmanuel Roblès Prize, awarded to promising young French writers for their debut novels.
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Emmanuel Roblès
Author
- Born: May 4, 1914
- Birthplace: Oran, Algeria
- Died: February 22, 1995
- Place of death: Boulogne, France
Biography
Emmanuel Roblès was born in Oran, Algeria, on May 4, 1914, shortly after his father’s death. His mother raised Emmanuel and her older son René by herself in Oran. Following his secondary studies, Emmanuel studied at the University of Algiers where, he majored in Spanish. He also did his military service in Algeria, which was then a French colony. He grew up speaking French and Arabic.
While he was studying in Algiers, Roblès became close friends with Mouloud Féraoun, who became a famous writer. Emmanuel Roblès and his wife also became lifelong friends with Albert Camus and his wife Francine. They were among the first people to console Francine Camus after Albert’s death in an automobile accident in January, 1960.
When the Nazis occupied France, Emmanuel Roblès joined the Free French Forces under General Charles de Gaulle. He flew several dangerous missions over occupied Europe. After the end of World War II in 1945, he moved to France, where he wrote novels and plays and helped fellow French-Algerian writers, such as Féraoun and Mohammed Dia, to get their novels published by the Éditions du Seuil, where he was a chief editor.
Emmanuel Roblès owes his fame largely to his 1947 Algerian novel Les Hauteurs de la ville (the heights of the city), his 1948 play Montserrat, and his 1967 screenplay for Luchino Visconti’s 1967 film based on Camus’s novel L’Étranger. In 1973, he was elected to France’s prestigious Goncourt Academy. He and his wife settled in the Loire Valley city of Blois. He died on February 22, 1995. To honor his memory, his adopted city of Blois created an Emmanuel Roblès Prize to select the best first novel by a young French writer.