Alain-Fournier

Born Henri-Alban Fournier in 1886, he wrote under the pen name Alain-Fournier. He is remembered above all for Le Grand Meaulnes (1913), his only novel, which became a classic of French literature.

His writing is closely tied to memory, adolescence, and the search for an ideal world just out of reach, which helps explain why his work has continued to resonate with readers for generations.

Alain-Fournier died in 1914 while serving as a soldier in the opening months of the First World War. The small body of work he left behind has given him an unusual place in literature: a writer known for one major book, yet one whose voice still feels vivid and enduring.