Minou Drouet
Minou Drouet ( born July 24, 1947 in Paris; actually Marie -Noëlle Drouet ) is a French writer, the internationally excited as a child during the 1950s a stir with the publication of poems and letters as well as the fierce controversy over the authenticity of these works.
Biography
Minou Drouet was born as an illegitimate child and released by the birth mother for adoption. With one and a half years she was adopted by the tutor Claude Drouet and grew up in a small town near Rennes in Brittany zoom. Owing to a severe visual impairment, she was almost blind in the first years of life and lived in an almost autistic state. They eventually began to show interest in music and considerable talent for playing the piano. Minou was adopted by a working at the Paris Conservatory piano teacher, who also wrote numerous letters. The teacher gave them in 1955 at the Paris publisher René Julliard further, who had previously been successfully published the written from the eighteen- year-old Françoise Sagan 's novel Bonjour tristesse year.
Julliard was thrilled with the literary talent of eight year olds. He brought in September 1955 in a limited edition collection of letters and poems Minou Drouet out and already ignited so that a violent literary controversy over the authenticity of the works, which published early 1956 volume of poetry, Arbre, mon ami ( My friend the tree ) to a large be selling success was.
The daily Le Figaro printed a very positive review. The women's magazine Elle, however, brought a series of articles in which Minou's adoptive mother was accused of the letters and poems written and displayed as works of their daughter. Many other publications and cultural life of the protagonists were forced to take in the " Minou Drouet Affair " party, which was described by Julliard publicity as " a small Dreyfus Affair." The famous French writer, painter and film director Jean Cocteau coined the several times later on in this connection quoted sentence: " Every child has genius, except Minou Drouet. "
Minou Drouet underwent several tests in which they had to bring poetry to given topics under supervision on paper without any external influence. In February 1956 she was in this way an entrance examination of the Société des auteurs, Compositeurs éditeurs et de Musique ( SACEM ). Fully however, the doubt as to their literary talent should never fall silent.
After the success of her book Minou came as a celebrity at various occasions in appearance. She made publicly Music with Andrés Segovia, Pablo Casals, Jacques Brel and Charles Aznavour, occurred at a gala event at Milan's La Scala, was in Rome a private audience with Pope Pius XII. , Reconciled at a meeting with Jean Cocteau, read from her poems and played piano in nightclubs, theaters and arenas. In 1958 she played the lead role in the film Lost game ( Clara et les méchants ), with Michel Serrault.
In the 1960s, the success gradually subsided. Minou developed after she had nursed her dying grandmother, the desire to work as a nurse. After two years in a hospital, she returned for some time back to their appearances in clubs and cafes. They had a short marriage to the French humorist and singer Patrick Font.
Early twenties she published several frustrating children's books and fables as well as a novel. But in her later memoirs, written Ma vérité ( My Truth) Minou Drouet known that she had to write about this time, the demand had already been lost.
In 1993 she married in her hometown a shop owner and has since been living retired.
Works
Minou Drouet on:
- L'Affaire Minou Drouet ( André Parinaud, 1956)
Minou Drouet by:
- Arbre, mon ami (1957 )
- Le Pecheur de lune (1959 )
- You brouillard dans les yeux (1966 ) (German Edition: Fog in the eyes, 1968)
- La Patte bleue (1966 )
- Ouf de la forêt (1968 )
- La Flamme rousse (1968, illustrated by Daniel Billon )
- Ma vérité ( autobiography, 1993)