Independence

Independence evokes a foundational moment in Pierre Guyotat’s life, while he was serving as a soldier during the Algerian war: his arrest andimprisonment by French military security for political rebellion.

This text was written for a special issue of the Nouvelle Revue Française, the literary magazine which greatly contributed to shaping French literary history during the course of the twentieth century. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the publishing company, Les Editions Gallimard, which houses the magazine, each contributor was invited to submit a text written in relation to a novel which they felt encapsulated the century.