Georges Simenon

Eminent writer

Georges Simenon (Liège 1903-Lausanne 1989), eminent writer of the 20th century, is certainly one of the most Famous Belgians in the world. After going into journalism by joining the Gazette de Liège, Georges Simenon decides to take up the pen and publishes, in Paris, a series of popular novels using different pseudonyms. He would go on to give an impressive literary output, translated into numerous languages and very often adapted For television or the cinema.

Inspector Maigret

His name is soon linked to the detective novel and to a particular person, Inspector Maigret. He succeeds in reviving the genre with his sense of psychological analysis and by the portrayal of the atmosphere of a city or of a social milieu. However, to reduce Simenon's work to Maigret would be to Forget the biggest part of his ceuvre, that is, the - more ambitious - short stories and psychological novels, Three beds in Manhattan (Trois chambres à Manhattan), The Cat (Le Chat), Les Pitard, etc. The best of his books paint a panorama of his time like Balzac and Zola in their day. His sober depiction of everyday reality, even in situations of conflict, was probably the secret of his success.

Georges Simenon

Having set up home in the United States, Georges Simenon then decides in 1952 to visit Europe: he is given a hero's welcome in Paris, where, For instance, he is received at the headquarters of the Police Judiciaire, 36 Quai des Orfèvres. A Few weeks later, Georges Simenon became a member of the Belgium royal literature academy.
Issue: Belgium, 28 April 2003

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Postage Stamps 2003