Jacques Lemarchand's Wartime Diary Reveals Obsession with Gestapo Spy
A newly published diary by French writer Jacques Lemarchand, covering 1942-1944, documents his obsessive affair with Geneviève B*, a Gestapo spy responsible for deporting hundreds. Lemarchand, born in 1908 in Bordeaux, began the diary on December 30-31, 1941, and continued until 1972. During the Occupation, he wrote for collaborationist newspapers like La Gerbe while working as an archivist. His diary entries detail sexual encounters and jealousy, but he remained unaware of his mistress's espionage. Geneviève B* was executed at Fort de Montrouge in 1948. After the war, Lemarchand joined literary circles including Jean Tardieu, Raymond Queneau, and Jean-Paul Sartre. He became secretary of the Prix de la Pléiade and drama critic for Combat, where Albert Camus was editor. His final novel, "Geneviève" (1944), obliquely references the affair. The diary is published by Éditions Claire Paulhan.
Key facts
- Jacques Lemarchand kept a diary from 1941 to 1972.
- The diary covers the German occupation of France and his affair with Geneviève B*.
- Geneviève B* was a Gestapo spy executed in 1948.
- Lemarchand wrote for collaborationist newspapers like La Gerbe.
- After the war, he worked for Gallimard and wrote for Combat.
- His novel 'Geneviève' was published in 1944.
- The diary is published by Éditions Claire Paulhan.
- Lemarchand was born in 1908 in Bordeaux.
Entities
Artists
- Jacques Lemarchand
- Raymond Guérin
- Jean Tardieu
- Armand Robin
- Henri Thomas
- Raymond Queneau
- Jean-Paul Sartre
- Albert Camus
- Drieu La Rochelle
- Jean Paulhan
- Gaston Gallimard
- Geneviève B*
- Roger Calame
- Judith Brouste
Institutions
- Éditions Claire Paulhan
- Éditions Rue Fromentin
- NRF
- Gallimard
- Combat
- Prix de la Pléiade
- Revue Libre de Bordeaux
- La Gerbe
- Ministère de la Marine
- Santé Navale
- Gestapo
- Fort de Montrouge
Locations
- Bordeaux
- France
- Paris
- Somme
- Fort de Montrouge
Sources
- artpress —