Video: France marks centenary of ‘Promise at Dawn’ author Romain Gary
France is releasing a previously unpublished novel by Romain Gary to mark 100 years since the birth of one of its favourite authors. Famed for works like “The Roots of Heaven” and “Promise at Dawn”, Gary remains a cornerstone in French literature.
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Gary was born in what is now Lithuania under the name Roman Kacew before moving to France in his teens. He won France's prestigious Goncourt literature prize twice – once using his usual pen name, Romain Gary, for Les Racines du ciel (The Roots of Heaven) and a second time for La vie devant soi (The Life Before Us) under the pseudonym Emile Ajar.
A prolific writer, Gary produced more than 35 novels during his career. He took his own life in Paris at the age of 66.
To celebrate his centenary, Paris-based publishing house Gallimard is releasing a never-before-published Gary novel as well as a transcription of one of his last radio interviews.
Click on the player above to watch the full report on Gary's continuing popularity.
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