Including a number of short essays by Bataille and Leiris on aspects of the other's work as well as excerpts on Bataille from Leiris' diaries, this collection of correspondence throws new light on two of Surrealism's most radical dissidents.
In the autumn of 1924, just before Andre Breton published the Manifeste du surrealisme, two young men met in Paris for the first time. Georges Bataille, 27, starting work at the Bibliotheque Nationale; Michel Leiris, 23, beginning his studies in ethnology. Within a few months, they were both members of the Surrealist group, although their adherence to Surrealism (unlike their affinities with it) would not last long: in 1930 they were among the signatories of "Un cadavre," the famous tract against Breton, the "Machiavelli of Montmartre," as Leiris put it. But their friendship would endure for more than 30 years, and their correspondence, assembled here for the first time in English, would continue until the death of Bataille in 1962.

About the Author

Georges Bataille (1897-1962) was an essayist, philosophical theorist, and novelist. His most famous works include The Story of the Eye, Blue of Noon, and The Abbot C. Michel Leiris (1901-90) was a writer and anthropologist, born in Paris, France. His works include Simulacra, Extreme Evil, and Aurora.

Book Information
ISBN 9781803091914
Author Georges Bataille
Format Paperback
Page Count 312
Imprint Seagull Books London Ltd
Publisher Seagull Books London Ltd
Dimensions(mm) 7mm * 6mm * 1mm