Queneau

Raymond Queneau (February 21, 1903 – October 25, 1976) was a French novelist, poet, and co-founder of the Oulipo, a group dedicated to literary constraints and formal experimentation.

Born in Le Havre, Queneau studied philosophy at the University of Paris and began publishing in the 1930s. His work combined humor, wordplay, and social observation, and he became associated with the postwar French avant-garde. His novels and poetry are characterized by playful language, linguistic invention, and a concern with how form shapes meaning.

Queneau's best-known works include Exercices de style (1947), a short tale told in 99 different stylistic variants, and Zazie dans le métro (1959), a satirical novel about a rebellious girl in Paris that uses brisk, conversational language and inventive narration. The latter was adapted into a film in 1960 and helped popularize his style with a broad audience.

In 1960, Queneau co-founded Oulipo with François Le Lionnais, an organization devoted to writing under formal constraints such as lipograms, anagrams, and numerical patterns. The group philosophy emphasized potential literature and the exploration of new linguistic possibilities.

Queneau died in Paris in 1976. His work influenced later generations of writers and contributed to the development of experimental literature in France and beyond.