author
Victor Snell
1874–1931
A Swiss-born journalist and satirist, he helped shape the sharp, irreverent voice of modern French press writing. He is especially remembered as the first editor-in-chief of Le Canard enchaîné and for fiction published under the pen name Bérénice.
1 Audiobook
Le Jardin de Marrès par Bérénice
by Victor Snell
About the author
Born in Geneva in 1874, Victor Snell trained as a lawyer before turning to journalism. He later built his career in Paris, where he became closely associated with left-leaning and satirical newspapers.
Snell is best known for serving as the first editor-in-chief of Le Canard enchaîné from its 1916 relaunch until his death in 1931. Library records also show that he wrote fiction, including Le Jardin de Marrès under the pseudonym Bérénice, and Le Cœur incomplet et l'implacable pardon under his own name.
His work moved between political wit and literary writing, which helps explain why he remains an interesting figure in both press history and French-language literature. He died in Paris in 1931, one day before his fifty-seventh birthday.