Jérôme Lindon
France

Jérôme Lindon

by Jean Echenoz

Summary

What makes a great editor—and what happens when the person who believes in your work is no longer there? In this intimate, witty memoir, French novelist Jean Echenoz remembers Jérôme Lindon, the formidable publisher who led Éditions de Minuit and helped shape modern French literature. Their relationship began in 1979, when Echenoz, an unpublished writer, nervously submitted his first novel to Lindon. Instead of rejecting the manuscript, Lindon offered him a contract, beginning a friendship and professional partnership that would last more than twenty years. Through recollections of early-morning phone calls, lunches, disagreements, and conversations about the smallest details of writing, Echenoz reveals a man whose stern exterior concealed generosity, conviction, and an unwavering commitment to literature. Both a personal farewell and a portrait of literary life, this slender book celebrates the often complicated bond between a writer and the editor who helps bring his work into the world.

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Jean Echenoz
Jean Echenoz

Jean Echenoz (born in 1947 in Orange, France) is an acclaimed French novelist known for his elegant prose, understated humour, and inventive approach to storytelling. After studying sociology and moving to Paris in 1970, he published his first novel, Le Méridien de Greenwich, in 1979. The book was accepted by Éditions de Minuit, beginning his long association with publisher Jérôme Lindon. Echenoz gained recognition with Cherokee, which won the Prix Médicis in 1983, and achieved wider acclaim when I’m Gone (Je m’en vais) received the Prix Goncourt in 1999. His fiction often blends elements of mystery, adventure, biography, and satire, while playing with conventional narrative forms. Other notable works include Ravel, a fictional portrait of the composer Maurice Ravel, and Running, about Czech athlete Emil Zátopek. In Jérôme Lindon, Echenoz turns from fiction to personal remembrance, paying tribute to the editor who helped launch his literary career.

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Published
2026
Author
Jean Echenoz