Origins & Early Life

Raymond Auguste Queneau (; French: [ʁɛmɔ̃ kəno]; 21 February 1903 – 25 October 1976) was a French novelist, poet, critic, editor and co-founder and president of Oulipo (Ouvroir de littérature potentielle), notable for his wit and cynical humour. Queneau, the only child of Auguste Queneau and Joséphine Mignot, was born at 47, rue Thiers (now Avenue René-Coty), Le Havre, Seine-Inférieure. He received his middle name Auguste as a patronymic. After studying in Le Havre, Queneau moved to Paris in 1920 and received his first baccalauréat in 1925 for philosophy from the University of Paris.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Queneau performed military service as a zouave in Algeria and Morocco during the years 1925–26. From the 1920s through 1930s, Queneau took odd jobs for income, working as a bank teller, tutor, translator and hackwriting in a column entitled, "Connaissez-vous Paris?" ('Do you know Paris?') for the daily newspaper L'Intransigeant. He married Janine Kahn (1903–1972) in 1928 after returning to Paris from his first military service. Kahn was the sister-in-law of André Breton, leader of the surrealist movement. In 1934 they had a son, Jean-Marie, who became a painter.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Queneau was drafted in August...

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