André Gide

André Gide was a French writer born in Paris on 22 November 1869. He grew up in a strict Protestant household, and the tension between duty, faith and personal desire became the central subject of his work. Over a long career he wrote novels, short narrative works he called récits, plays, essays, travel writing and a famous diary. He also helped shape the literary life of his time as a founder of the review La Nouvelle Revue Française. His writing is known for its clear, balanced style and for its restless questions about honesty, freedom and how a person should live. He spoke openly in later life about his own nature, which was unusual for his day, and his readers have often been divided by him. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1947. He died on 19 February 1951, leaving a body of work that still prompts debate about sincerity and self-knowledge.