Gérald Hervé remains a seriously underrated figure. He found himself a stranger in his own country when, aged 27, he was expelled from the Navy due to his sexual orientation, a personal drama which was to be played out more or less explicitly in a variety of semi-autobiographical works in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Only one third of his work saw the light of day in his lifetime, and was largely ignored by the media. Despite the appearance of new editions since Hervé’s death, much work remains to be done.
Gérald Hervé was born on the 17th December 1928 in the Endoume quartier of Marseilles, the only son of a housewife and a clerk at the Westminster Bank. Enjoying a full education under the Third Republic system, reading and writing became his favourite activities at an early
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Citation: Baudry, Hervé. "Gérald Hervé". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 June 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12168, accessed 21 November 2024.]
