Gaspard

René Benjamin (1885-1948) was a French writer, journalist, and lecturer born in Paris who won the prestigious Prix Goncourt in 1915 for his World War I novel Gaspard, written while recovering from injuries. He authored numerous works including social satires, political pamphlets, biographies of figures like Balzac and Molière, and plays, while delivering around 1400 conferences across Europe and beyond. In 1938, he became the first former Goncourt winner to join the Académie Goncourt jury, though his later support for Marshal Pétain during the Vichy regime led to post-war internment before a non-lieu ruling. Read more →