Fred Vargas
Encyclopedia
Fred Vargas is the pseudonym of the French historian
, archaeologist and writer
Frédérique Audoin-Rouzeau (born 1957 in Paris
). Her crime fiction policiers have won three International Dagger
Awards from the Crime Writers Association, for three successive novels: in 2006, 2008 and 2009. She is the first author to achieve such an honor. In each case her translator
into English has been Sîan Reynolds, who was also recognized by the international award.
of the Black Death
and bubonic plague
, the result of which was a work considered definitive in the research area: Les chemins de la peste (Routes of the Plague) (2003).
character in the film The Barefoot Contessa
. Her twin sister Joëlle, a painter, adopted the pseudonym of Jo Vargas.
Vargas writes mostly police thrillers (policiers). She found writing was a way to combine her interests and relax from her job as an academic. Her novels are set in Paris and feature the adventures of Chief Inspector Adamsberg and his team. Her interest in the Middle Ages is manifest in many of her novels, especially through the person of Marc Vandoosler, a young specialist in the period. Seeking Whom He May Devour was shortlisted by the British Crime Writers' Association
for the last Gold Dagger
award for best crime novel of the year in 2005.
In 2006 her next novel, The Three Evangelists
, won the inaugural Duncan Lawrie International Dagger
. She also won the award in 2008 with Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand
. She was the first author to be shortlisted for three successive novels. In 2009 Vargas was again awarded the International Dagger, becoming the first author to receive it for three successive novels. The International Dagger also recognizes the translator, in each case Siân Reynolds.
Adamsberg series
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, archaeologist and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
Frédérique Audoin-Rouzeau (born 1957 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
). Her crime fiction policiers have won three International Dagger
Duncan Lawrie International Dagger
The Duncan Lawrie International Dagger is an award given by the Crime Writers' Association for best translated crime novel of the year. The winning author receives an ornamental dagger and £5,000. The translator of the novel is awarded £1,000....
Awards from the Crime Writers Association, for three successive novels: in 2006, 2008 and 2009. She is the first author to achieve such an honor. In each case her translator
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
into English has been Sîan Reynolds, who was also recognized by the international award.
Career as archaeologist
Audoin-Rouzeau worked at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), which she joined in 1988. She later joined the Institut Pasteur, as a eukaryotic archaeologist. She has undertaken a project on the epidemiologyEpidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
of the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
and bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
, the result of which was a work considered definitive in the research area: Les chemins de la peste (Routes of the Plague) (2003).
Career as novelist
Fred is the diminutive of her given name, Frédérique, while Vargas derives from the Ava GardnerAva Gardner
Ava Lavinia Gardner was an American actress.She was signed to a contract by MGM Studios in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew attention with her performance in The Killers . She became one of Hollywood's leading actresses, considered one of the most beautiful women of her day...
character in the film The Barefoot Contessa
The Barefoot Contessa
The Barefoot Contessa is a 1954 film about the life and loves of fictional Spanish sex symbol Maria Vargas. It was written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and stars Humphrey Bogart, Ava Gardner and Edmond O'Brien....
. Her twin sister Joëlle, a painter, adopted the pseudonym of Jo Vargas.
Vargas writes mostly police thrillers (policiers). She found writing was a way to combine her interests and relax from her job as an academic. Her novels are set in Paris and feature the adventures of Chief Inspector Adamsberg and his team. Her interest in the Middle Ages is manifest in many of her novels, especially through the person of Marc Vandoosler, a young specialist in the period. Seeking Whom He May Devour was shortlisted by the British Crime Writers' Association
Crime Writers' Association
The Crime Writers Association is a writers' association in the United Kingdom. Founded by John Creasey in 1953, it is currently chaired by Peter James and claims 450+ members....
for the last Gold Dagger
Gold Dagger
The Gold Dagger Award was an award given annually by the Crime Writers' Association for the best crime novel of the year.For its first five years, the organization's top honor was known as the Crossed Red Herring Award....
award for best crime novel of the year in 2005.
In 2006 her next novel, The Three Evangelists
The Three Evangelists
The Three Evangelists is a 1995 novel by French author Fred Vargas, translated into English in 2006. It won the inaugural Crime Writers' Association's Duncan Lawrie International Dagger, now known as the International Dagger Award....
, won the inaugural Duncan Lawrie International Dagger
Duncan Lawrie International Dagger
The Duncan Lawrie International Dagger is an award given by the Crime Writers' Association for best translated crime novel of the year. The winning author receives an ornamental dagger and £5,000. The translator of the novel is awarded £1,000....
. She also won the award in 2008 with Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand
Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand
Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand is a crime novel by French author Fred Vargas, originally published in France in 2004.The novel is part of her Commissaire Adamsberg series. As with many of Vargas' novels in English translation, the English title is not a literal translation...
. She was the first author to be shortlisted for three successive novels. In 2009 Vargas was again awarded the International Dagger, becoming the first author to receive it for three successive novels. The International Dagger also recognizes the translator, in each case Siân Reynolds.
Controversies
Fred Vargas took an important part in the defence of Cesare Battisti, a left-wing terrorist sought by Italian and French justice since 2004. He has been found guilty of four assassinations (two of them were a policeman and a member of anti-terroristic corps) committed in the 1970s, during the "Years of Lead".Principal characters
Three Evangelists series- Marc Vandoosler, known as Saint-Mark: Historian specialising in medieval life
- Lucien Devernois, known as Saint-Luke: Historian specialising in World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
(inspired by Vargas's brother Stéphane Audoin-Rouzeau) - Matthias Delamarre, known as Saint Matthew: Historian specialising in prehistory
- These three characters, christened the Evangelists, live in the same house, The Disgrace with Old Man Vandoosler
- Armand Vandoosler: former police Commissaire, Marc's godfather, epicurean and oddball
- Ludwig Kehlweiler: former policeman with a national network of informants and a toad Buffo
Adamsberg series
- Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg: peripatetic police chief, with ZenZenZen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
research methods - Adrien Danglard: methodical police inspector, Adamsberg's deputy. Divorced, father of five children and conspicuous white wine consumer
- Camille Forestier: a musician/plumber who has a turbulent relationship with Adamsberg.
External links
- ISBN Search
- Interview with Vargas, The Guardian, 2004