Joseph Ponthus

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Joseph Ponthus
Born1978
Reims, France
Died24 February 2021(2021-02-24) (aged 42–43)
NationalityFrench
OccupationWriter

Joseph Ponthus (1978 – 24 February 2021) was a French writer.[1] He was best known for writing the book À la ligne [fr], which received the Grand prix RTL-Lire and the Prix Eugène-Dabit du roman populiste [fr].

Biography

Ponthus earned his khâgne in Reims and Nancy. He first worked in the town hall of Nanterre as a special education teacher. He co-authored a book with four of his students in 2012, titled Nous ... la cité and published by La Découverte [fr].[2] In 2015, he moved to Lorient to live with his wife, where he first worked in a fish cannery and a slaughterhouse.[3]

For two years, Ponthus recorded his impressions and feelings as well as those of his colleagues. These recordings were published in January 2019 under the title À la ligne by Éditions de la Table ronde. The English version of this book, On the Line: Notes from a factory, translated by Stephanie Smee, was published by Black Inc. in 2021.[4] The book followed a flow of free verse poetry and has been considered a key example of factory composition, showing how "poetic language can spark collective awakening and resistance to dehumanizing conditions".[5] He explained that "the plant [...] has set the pace: on a production line, everything is linked very quickly. There is no time for pretty subordinates. The gestures are mechanical and the thoughts go to line".[6] It was well received by critics,[7] and journalist François Busnel [fr] added it to his list of favorite reads on 6 February 2019 on the radio show La Grande Librairie [fr].[8] In March 2019, the book received the Grand prix RTL-Lire.[9][10] A few weeks later, it was awarded the Prix Régine-Deforges [fr],[11][12] the Prix Jean Amila-Meckert [fr], and the Prix du premier roman par les lecteurs des bibliothèques de la Ville de Paris.[13] In November 2019, it received the Prix Eugène-Dabit du roman populiste,[14] and the Prix littéraire des étudiants de Sciences Po [fr] in June 2020. Even before these awards, the book received much success from bookstores.[15]

Joseph Ponthus died of cancer on 24 February 2021 at the age of 42.[16]

Works

  • Nous ... la cité (2012)[17]
  • À la ligne (2019)[18]

References

  1. ^ "Joseph Ponthus, auteur du roman À la ligne - Feuillets d'usine, est décédé à 42 ans". Le Figaro (in French). 24 February 2021.
  2. ^ "Nous... la cité. On est partis de rien et on a fait un livre". Lien Social (in French). 15 November 2012.
  3. ^ "Joseph Ponthus : allez, aux bulots". Libération (in French). 18 January 2019.é
  4. ^ Gosetti, Valentina (12 May 2021). "Valentina Gosetti reviews 'On the Line: Notes from a factory' by Joseph Ponthus, translated by Stephanie Smee". Australian Book Review. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  5. ISSN 0887-3631
    .
  6. ^ "Joseph Ponthus : "L'épreuve de l'usine s'est peut-être substituée à celle de l'angoisse"". Libération (in French). 18 January 2019.
  7. ^ "" À la ligne " de Joseph Ponthu". La Croix (in French). 17 January 2019.
  8. ^ " À la ligne " de Joseph Ponthus : le livre coup de cœur (YouTube) (in French). Paris: La Grande Librairie. 7 February 2019.
  9. ^ "" À la ligne ", de Joseph Ponthus, Grand Prix RTL-" Lire "". Le Point (in French). 21 February 2019.
  10. ^ "Joseph Ponthus lauréat du grand prix RTL/Lire". Le Figaro (in French). 14 March 2019.
  11. ^ "Joseph Ponthus reçoit le Prix Régine Deforges pour À la ligne". ActuaLitté (in French). 3 April 2019.
  12. ^ "Joseph Ponthus distingué par le Prix Régine Deforges 2019". Livres Hebdo (in French). 3 April 2019.
  13. ^ "Paris : Joseph Ponthus, Prix du premier roman des lecteurs des bibliothèques". ActuaLitté (in French). 7 June 2019.
  14. ^ "Joseph Ponthus lauréat du Prix Eugène Dabit du roman populiste 2019". ActuaLitté (in French). 22 November 2019.
  15. ^ "Le Lorientais Joseph Ponthus grand prix RTL-Lire". Ouest-France (in French). 14 March 2019.
  16. ^ "Joseph Ponthus, Grand Prix RTL-Lire 2019 pour "À la ligne", est décédé à 42 ans". RTL (in French). 24 February 2021.
  17. ^ "Nous ... la Cité". La Découverte (in French).
  18. ^ "Recensions". Cairn (in French). April 2019.
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