Théophile Briant, Rothéneuf, Ille-et-Vilaine (35)

Théophile Briant (1891-1956) is not to be confused with the union leader Théophile Briand, and the changed 'D' for the 'T' on his grave is clearly visible here. He spent his childhood in Fougères and later moved to Paris where he was friends with Colette, Jehan-Rictus and Max Jacob. In 1934 he left Paris for the Tour du Vent', a former windmill in Paramé. From there he promoted unknown poets and published hitherto unpublished works by such poets as Tristan Corbière and Gérard de Nerval. He founded the literary periodical Le Goéland, which promoted Breton culture and lasted 120 issues. He was also a friend of Céline and wrote biographies of Saint-Pol-Roux and Jehan-Rictus.