Returning to Reims, a 2009 memoir detailing Didier Eribon’s working-class upbringing in France, established a significant shift in contemporary sociological discourse. Born in 1953 in Reims, Eribon emerged as the first member of his family to complete secondary education, supported by the overtime labor of his mother, a factory worker, before embarking on a career as a writer and philosopher.
Academic and Journalistic Trajectory
Eribon transitioned between professional roles as an opinion journalist, researcher, and university teacher. His journalistic tenure included positions at Libération between 1979 and 1983, followed by a long-term role at Le Nouvel Obs from 1984 to 1997. Academically, he held a faculty position at the University of Picardie Jules Verne from 2009 to 2017. Beyond France, his research and lecturing footprint extends to institutions including the University of California, Berkeley, Princeton’s Institute for Advanced Study, and various American universities such as Harvard, Columbia, and The New School.
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His intellectual output focuses on sociology, literary criticism, and homosexuality. His 1989 biography of Michel Foucault garnered widespread critical attention, complemented by his 1988 volume of conversations with Claude Lévi-Strauss. Eribon’s exploration of sexual identity includes works such as the 1999 publication Insult and the Making of the Gay Self and the 2005 release Escaping Psychoanalysis. He has also engaged deeply with critical theory, evidenced by his 2013 book, The Society as Verdict.
Legacy and Reception
The impact of Returning to Reims transcended academic circles, influencing writers such as Édouard Louis. The text underwent various adaptations, including a stage production directed by Thomas Ostermeier presented at the 2017 Manchester International Festival and a 2021 film by Jean-Gabriel Périot. Over his career, Eribon has received the 1989 “Today” Prize and the 2008 Brudner Prize, the latter of which he returned in 2011. In 2024, he was recognized with the Prix de l’Académie de Berlin.
Fast facts
- Born: 1953, Reims
- Citizenship: France
- Educated at: University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne
- Major Work: Returning to Reims (2009)
- Officer of Arts and Letters: 2013
- Honorary Doctorate: University of Buenos Aires, 2014
Questions readers ask
What is the primary subject of Returning to Reims?
The memoir examines Eribon’s working-class family background and his personal journey through the French education system.
Didier Eribon has held teaching positions at which French university?
He served as a teacher at the University of Picardie Jules Verne between 2009 and 2017.
Achievements
- Brudner Prize — 2008
- “Today” Prize — 1989
- Notable work: Returning to Reims
- Held posts at University of Picardie Jules Verne, Libération and Le Nouvel Obs
- Fields: philosophy, sociology and literary criticism
