The table below provides a selective overview of certain key events and periods in Michel Butor's life. ‘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) Photo credit: largemaster2 via iStock.com 1926Born on 14 September in Mons-en-Baroeul, Nord1929Butor family moves to Paris1940Enters seconde at the Lycée Louis-Le-Grand, Paris1944-47Student at Sorbonne. Initially studies literature, then transfers to philosophy1946Begins DES under the direction of Gaston Bachelard1947-48Prepares the Agrégation de philosophie1950Spends summer vacation in Germany at the Château de Harburg1950Teacher in Sens1950-51Teacher at El Minya, Egypt1951-53Lecteur at the University of Manchester1954-55Teacher in Thessaloniki1955-56Temporary replacement for Roland Barthes at the École Nationale Supérieure1956Awarded Prix Fénéon for L’Emploi du temps1956-57Teacher in Geneva1957Awarded Prix Renaudot for La Modification1958Marries Marie-Josèphe Mas on 22 August1958Birth of first daughter, Cécile, on 23 June1959Temporary replacement for Maurice Nadeau at Bryn Mawr College, Philadelphia1960During vacation, teaches at Middlebury, Vermont1960Birth of second daughter, Agnès, on 17 June1960Death of father1960Returns to Paris1960Signs 'Manifeste des 121'1960Awarded Prix de la critique littéraire for Répertoire1961Trips to Italy, Switzerland, Majorca, Vienna, Belgium, UK, Germany1962Birth of third daughter, Irène, 25 March1962-3Appointed to Melodia Jones Chair, University of Buffalo1963Trip to Eastern Europe in September1964Spends a year in West Berlin, sponsored by the Ford Foundation1964Trips to Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Paris1965Moves to Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois1965Spends autumn teaching at North Western University, in Evanston1966Member of jury at Venice Biennale1966Trips to Israel, USSR, Japan1967Birth of fourth daughter, Mathilde, on 5 March1967Visit to Australia1968Member of the group led by Maurice Roche which occupied the Hôtel de Massa1969Obtains temporary teaching post at the University of Vincennes1969-1970Visiting Professor and ‘Writer in Residence’ at the University of New Mexico1970Obtains post at the University of Nice; Butor family moves to Nice1972Death of mother1973Colloque de Cerisy on Butor1973-74Visiting Professor at the University of New Mexico1973-74Trips to America and Vancouver1974Obtains lecturing post at the University of Geneva1976Spends July and August in Australia as writer in residence at the University of Brisbane1980Trip to Japan1981Trip to Canada, USA1984Trip to Peru1986Butor family moves to Lucinges1989Spends April-July in Japan as a guest of the Rikkyo University in Tokyo1991Retires from University of Geneva1992Spends the autumn at the University of Montreal1993Trip to China1995Trip to Zimbabwe1998Grand Prix du romantisme Chateaubriand for Improvisations sur Balzac2006Prix Mallarmé for Seize Lustres2006-2011Publication of Butor's Œuvres complètes, edited by Mireille Calle-Gruber2007Grand Prix Sacem des poètes2008Grand Prix de l'académie Charles Cros for Petite histoire de la littérature française2010Death of Marie-Jo Butor, 30 October2012Awarded New York University Presidential Medal2013Grand Prix de Littérature de l’Académie française2016Grand Prix de Poésie de la SGDL2016Dies on 24 August at Contamine-sur-Arve, France This article was published on 2024-08-13
