The table below provides a selective overview of certain key events and periods in Michel Butor's life. Image Photo credit: largemaster2 via iStock.com ‘Vous prendrez des araucarias et des magnolias, des lilas et des daturas, des figuiers de Barbarie et des cyprès/ que vous mêlerez à des plages de galets’ Carnaval Transatlantique: Ballade municipale (Nice) 1926 Born on 14 September in Mons-en-Baroeul, Nord 1929 Butor family moves to Paris 1940 Enters seconde at the Lycée Louis-Le-Grand, Paris 1944-47 Student at Sorbonne. Initially studies literature, then transfers to philosophy 1946 Begins DES under the direction of Gaston Bachelard 1947-48 Prepares the Agrégation de philosophie 1950 Spends summer vacation in Germany at the Château de Harburg 1950 Teacher in Sens 1950-51 Teacher at El Minya, Egypt 1951-53 Lecteur at the University of Manchester 1954-55 Teacher in Thessaloniki 1955-56 Temporary replacement for Roland Barthes at the École Nationale Supérieure 1956 Awarded Prix Fénéon for L’Emploi du temps 1956-57 Teacher in Geneva 1957 Awarded Prix Renaudot for La Modification 1958 Marries Marie-Josèphe Mas on 22 August 1959 Birth of first daughter, Cécile, on 23 June 1960 Temporary replacement for Maurice Nadeau at Bryn Mawr College, Philadelphia 1960 During vacation, teaches at Middlebury, Vermont 1960 Birth of second daughter, Agnès, on 17 June 1960 Death of father 1960 Returns to Paris 1960 Signs 'Manifeste des 121' 1960 Awarded Prix de la critique littéraire for Répertoire 1961 Trips to Italy, Switzerland, Majorca, Vienna, Belgium, UK, Germany 1962 Birth of third daughter, Irène, 25 March 1962-3 Appointed to Melodia Jones Chair, University of Buffalo 1963 Trip to Eastern Europe in September 1964 Spends a year in West Berlin, sponsored by the Ford Foundation 1964 Trips to Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Paris 1965 Moves to Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois 1965 Spends autumn teaching at North Western University, in Evanston 1966 Member of jury at Venice Biennale 1966 Trips to Israel, USSR, Japan 1967 Birth of fourth daughter, Mathilde, on 5 March 1967 Visit to Australia 1968 Member of the group led by Maurice Roche which occupied the Hôtel de Massa 1969 Obtains temporary teaching post at the University of Vincennes 1969-1970 Visiting Professor and ‘Writer in Residence’ at the University of New Mexico 1970 Obtains post at the University of Nice; Butor family moves to Nice 1972 Death of mother 1973 Colloque de Cerisy on Butor 1973-74 Visiting Professor at the University of New Mexico 1973-74 Trips to America and Vancouver 1974 Obtains lecturing post at the University of Geneva 1976 Spends July and August in Australia as writer in residence at the University of Brisbane 1980 Trip to Japan 1981 Trip to Canada, USA 1984 Trip to Peru 1986 Butor family moves to Lucinges 1989 Spends April-July in Japan as a guest of the Rikkyo University in Tokyo 1991 Retires from University of Geneva 1992 Spends the autumn at the University of Montreal 1993 Trip to China 1995 Trip to Zimbabwe 1998 Grand Prix du romantisme Chateaubriand for Improvisations sur Balzac 2006 Prix Mallarmé for Seize Lustres 2006-2011 Publication of Butor's Œuvres complètes, edited by Mireille Calle-Gruber 2007 Grand Prix Sacem des poètes 2008 Grand Prix de l'académie Charles Cros for Petite histoire de la littérature française 2010 Death of Marie-Jo Butor, 30 October 2012 Awarded New York University Presidential Medal 2013 Grand Prix de Littérature de l’Académie française 2016 Grand Prix de Poésie de la SGDL 2016 Dies on 24 August at Contamine-sur-Arve, France This article was published on 2024-08-13
