Bernard Pivot, the prescriber of letters
«Apostrophes, Culture Broth, Dual I, Writing, Football, Gluttony, Interview, Journalism, Newsstand, Reading, Words. Damn it” was how Bernard Pivot defined himself on Twitter. The writer, anchorman, and lover of words, who handled humor and mischief like no one else, died at the age of 89 on Monday, May 6, 2024. He had been battling illness for several years after passing on his passion for books to entire generations.
Creator of the “Apostrophes” show on the Antenne 2 French TV channel and president of the Goncourt Academy, he also presented the “Bouillon de culture” program and, from 1985 onwards, organized the “Dicos d’or” (Golden dictionaries) , a spelling bee that became international. Bernard Pivot had been suffering from health problems since January 2020, as he confided in an interview with Le JDD newspaper in April 2023, the last one before retiring from public life. “ I remained silent because the illness hit me in the head, where the brain and speech are located. It is better to remain silent while waiting for memory to recharge and thought to blossom again», he confided to the same newspaper. Although the writer has never revealed the nature of his illness, the press refers to “ months of battling cancer ”.
Between 2014 and 2019, he was also president of the Goncourt Academy, which on Monday hailed his “ insatiable literary curiosity, his unfailing commitment to serving the world of letters, as well as his honesty and high moral standards ”. Bernard Pivot’s television career began in 1973, when he produced and hosted the “Ouvrez les guillemets” show on the first French TV channel. The iconic “Apostrophes” show went on the air in January 1975. Pivot infused it with a new, almost libertarian spirit. Under wisps of cigarette smoke, men and women of letters, biting minds and literary critics discussed, laughed, argued and insulted each other… Audiences were won over, and book sales exploded.
The giants of the literary world follow one another in this new-style salon, where Pivot knows how to create intimacy and bring together unlikely duos. Guests included writers such as Marguerite Duras, Milan Kundera, and Umberto Eco, as well as personalities from the world of culture: cartoonist Hergé, singers Georges Brassens, and Serge Gainsbourg, comedian Raymond Devos… and even President François Mitterrand, when he published his book “L’abeille et l’architecte” (The Bee and the Architect) in 1978.
The show is watched by millions. Bernard Pivot brought the adventure to a close on June 22 1990, with a special edition featuring 80 writers. In addition to television, Bernard Pivot’s love of literature has also made him the author of several books, including essays and novels, most recently Et la vie continue. The book takes up the theme of old age and distills a few life lessons for welcoming it in a fulfilling way. He wrote then that “The passage of time is a pain when we suffer it, but a joy when we enjoy it. Especially if the last moments are played out to a few musical notes ”.
A.Bo
