Yves Henri Michel Navarre, French novelist and playwright, was born 24 September 1940 in Condom, Gascony, France. He earned degrees in Spanish, English, and modern literature from the Universite de Lille III in 1961 and 1964 and attended Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales du Nord in 1964. He began submitting manuscripts for publication in 1958 and his first novel, LADY BLACK, was published in 1971, followed by ÉVOLÉNE (1972), LES LOUKOUMS (1973), and others each year through 1984 when he suffered a stroke. He resumed publishing in 1986 until 1991. Navarre is noted for his treatment of mature themes, including homosexual relations, spiritual imprisonment, and the mystical qualities of love. His approach to such topics is formal rather than sensationalized. He told Contemporary Authors that his novel BIOGRAPHIE is the key to all his other novels and plays. Awards: Navarre received France's top literary award, the Concourt Prize in 1980 for LE JARDIN D’ACCLIMATATION (The Zoological Garden) and in 1992 the Académie Française Prize for the body of his work. Navarre died of an overdose of barbiturates in Paris, France, on 24 January 1994.
