Pagnol, Marcel

(French, 1895–1974)

Pagnol was born in the Provençal town of Aubagne, and worked as a school-teacher after serving in the First World War. Following the success of his plays, he became a full-time writer in 1928 and later, a noted film-maker. Begin with The Water of the Hills (1962), a nostalgic depiction of life in the Provence of his youth. The story concerns a long-standing feud among farmers over rights to a water supply. It is in two parts, Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources, which were filmed by Claude Berri in 1986. His other major work as a prose writer is the Souvenirs d'Enfance trilogy, a richly lyrical recollection of childhood. The first two parts are published in English as My Father's Glory and My Mother's Castle (formerly titled The Days Were Too Short, 1957).

Laurie Lee, Alain-Fournier, George Mackay Brown  DH