Michel Foucault, Qu'est -ce qu'un auteur? [What is an Author?]

Jiani Fan (Princeton University)

Ed. by Hugo Azerad, University of Cambridge
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.5.2.07: French Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary, 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Kate Averis (University of Western Australia), Hugo Azerad (University of Cambridge), Patrick ffrench (King's College London), Edward Forman (University of Bristol), Akane Kawakami (Birkbeck, University of London), Siobhán McIlvanney (King's College London), Sinan Richards (King's College London), Tim Unwin (University of Bristol), David Williams (University of Sheffield)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1969

Places

France (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Non-Fiction
- Commentary / Criticism (literary)
Essays/ Lectures (any)

Resources

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“Qu’est ce qu’un auteur (What is an Author?)” is an article derived from Michel Foucault’s speech in the

Société française de philosophie

in February 1969. This text constitutes a backlash against Gustave Lanson’s method of literary history. An influential scholar in French literary criticism, Lanson’s method dominated French universities for many decades. This method promotes literary sociology, deeming circumstantial influence and an author’s original intention as crucial in producing and interpreting literary texts. As a result, this method merges literary criticism and literary history. Besides this legacy that Foucault strives to get rid of, he also draws his inspiration from his poststructuralist precursors, such as Maurice Blanchot and Roland Barthes.…

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2383 words

Citation: Fan, Jiani. "Qu'est -ce qu'un auteur?". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 September 2021 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=20701, accessed 25 April 2024.]

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