Michel Zevaco
Encyclopedia
Michel Zevaco (1 February 1860, Ajaccio
- 8 August 1918, Eaubonne
) was a French
journalist
, novelist, publisher, film director
, and anti-clerical as well as anarchist activist.
Michel Zevaco founded the anarchist weekly magazine Gueux (French, Beggars) on March 27, 1892. A month later he was jailed for 6 months and fined for praising Pini and Ravachol
. Afterwards he wrote for Sébastien Faure
's journal, Libertaire, as well as for the anarchist newspaper La Renaissance. In 1898, he edited l'Anticlérical, for the Anticlerical League of France and was involved in supporting Alfred Dreyfus
during the eponymous Dreyfus Affair
.
Zevaco's famous cloak and dagger
novels Les Pardaillan, began to be serialized in the daily newspapers in 1900 to great popular success. Yet he is today quite unknown, in spite of the new interest aroused by popular literature.
A former school teacher, then an officer, he became a militant journalist, who wrote for various revolutionary newspapers, of anarchist tendency. He became famous mainly for the part he played in the anti-clerical struggles
at the end of the 19th century. Then, as a writer of serial novels, he published works which had a great success in Jean Jaurès
' daily La Petite République, and he became appointed serial writer for Le Matin
from 1906 to his death.
His already well-established popularity was made even greater by his promising beginnings as a film-director in 1917. His novels first published by Fayard
and Tallandier were republished several times and adapted for the screen; the latest paperback
edition only gives a mutilated version, and is impaired by many cuts.
He is remembered as the author of Les Pardaillan, Le Capitan, Borgia, Buridan, L'Héroïne, l'Hôtel Saint Pol and Nostradamus, his most famous historical novel
s, but also published novels related to his times. Some of his serials have not yet been published.
Ajaccio
Ajaccio , is a commune on the island of Corsica in France. It is the capital and largest city of the region of Corsica and the prefecture of the department of Corse-du-Sud....
- 8 August 1918, Eaubonne
Eaubonne
Eaubonne is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Twin towns:It is twinned with Matlock, Derbyshire, England, Budenheim, Germany and Vălenii de Munte, Romania.-Transport:...
) was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, novelist, publisher, film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, and anti-clerical as well as anarchist activist.
Michel Zevaco founded the anarchist weekly magazine Gueux (French, Beggars) on March 27, 1892. A month later he was jailed for 6 months and fined for praising Pini and Ravachol
Ravachol
François Claudius Koenigstein, known as Ravachol, , was a French anarchist. He was born 14 October 1859 at Saint-Chamond and died guillotined 11 July 1892 at Montbrison.-Biography:...
. Afterwards he wrote for Sébastien Faure
Sébastien Faure
Sébastien Faure was a French anarchist . He was a main proponent of the anarchist organizational form known as synthesis anarchism.- Biography :Before becoming a free-thinker, he was a seminarist...
's journal, Libertaire, as well as for the anarchist newspaper La Renaissance. In 1898, he edited l'Anticlérical, for the Anticlerical League of France and was involved in supporting Alfred Dreyfus
Alfred Dreyfus
Alfred Dreyfus was a French artillery officer of Jewish background whose trial and conviction in 1894 on charges of treason became one of the most tense political dramas in modern French and European history...
during the eponymous Dreyfus Affair
Dreyfus Affair
The Dreyfus affair was a political scandal that divided France in the 1890s and the early 1900s. It involved the conviction for treason in November 1894 of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a young French artillery officer of Alsatian Jewish descent...
.
Zevaco's famous cloak and dagger
Cloak and dagger
Cloak and dagger is a term sometimes used to refer to situations involving intrigue, secrecy, espionage, or mystery.Cloak and dagger may refer to:-Music:* Cloak & Dagger * Cloak & Dagger , 1992...
novels Les Pardaillan, began to be serialized in the daily newspapers in 1900 to great popular success. Yet he is today quite unknown, in spite of the new interest aroused by popular literature.
A former school teacher, then an officer, he became a militant journalist, who wrote for various revolutionary newspapers, of anarchist tendency. He became famous mainly for the part he played in the anti-clerical struggles
1905 French law on the separation of Church and State
The 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and State was passed by the Chamber of Deputies on 9 December 1905. Enacted during the Third Republic, it established state secularism in France...
at the end of the 19th century. Then, as a writer of serial novels, he published works which had a great success in Jean Jaurès
Jean Jaurès
Jean Léon Jaurès was a French Socialist leader. Initially an Opportunist Republican, he evolved into one of the first social democrats, becoming the leader, in 1902, of the French Socialist Party, which opposed Jules Guesde's revolutionary Socialist Party of France. Both parties merged in 1905 in...
' daily La Petite République, and he became appointed serial writer for Le Matin
Le Matin (France)
Le Matin was a French daily newspaper created in 1883 and discontinued in 1944.Le Matin was launched on the initiative of Chamberlain & Co, a group of American financiers, in 1883, on the model of the British daily The Morning News. The direction of the project was entrusted to the French...
from 1906 to his death.
His already well-established popularity was made even greater by his promising beginnings as a film-director in 1917. His novels first published by Fayard
Fayard
Fayard is a French Paris-based publishing house established in 1857. Fayard is controlled by Hachette Livre.-Works published:Works published by Editions Fayard include:...
and Tallandier were republished several times and adapted for the screen; the latest paperback
Paperback
Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
edition only gives a mutilated version, and is impaired by many cuts.
He is remembered as the author of Les Pardaillan, Le Capitan, Borgia, Buridan, L'Héroïne, l'Hôtel Saint Pol and Nostradamus, his most famous historical novel
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
s, but also published novels related to his times. Some of his serials have not yet been published.