Cendrey, Jean-Yves 1957–

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Cendrey, Jean-Yves 1957–

PERSONAL:

Born 1957, in Nevers, France; married Marie N'Diaye (a writer); children: three.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Berlin, Germany.

CAREER:

Writer.

WRITINGS:

Principes du cochon (novel; title means "Principles of the Pig"), P.O.L. (Paris, France), 1988.

Atlas menteur (novel; title means "Lying Atlas"), P.O.L. (Paris, France), 1989.

Les Morts vont vite (novel; title means "Deaths Go Quickly"), P.O.L (Paris, France), 1991.

Oublier Berlin: Carnets (title means "To Forget Berlin: Notebooks"), P.O.L. (Paris, France), 1994.

Trou-Madame; suivi de, Une Journée de ma vie d'athlète, P.O.L (Paris, France), 1997.

Les Petites Sœurs de sang (title means "Little Sisters of Blood"), Olivier (Paris, France), 1999.

Une Simple Créature (title means "One Simple Creature), Olivier (Paris, France), 2001.

Les Jouets vivants (title means "Living Toys"), Olivier (Paris, France), 2005.

Les Jouissances du remords: Un Moment de ma vie par un ennemi intime (title means "Pleasures of Remorse: One Moment of My Life by an Intimate Enemy"), Olivier (Paris, France), 2007.

(With wife, Marie N'Diaye) Puzzle: Trois Pièces: Théâtre (title means "Three Plays: Theatre"), Gallimard (Paris, France), 2007.

Corps Ensaignant, Gallimard (Paris, France), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

French writer Jean-Yves Cendrey is the author of a number of novels, including Principes du cochon (title means "Principles of the Pig"). One of his later books, Les Jouets vivants (title means "Living Toys"), was a great critical success. The story is based on the actual crimes of pedophile Marcel Lechien, a teacher in Cormeilles, Normandy, who was brought to trial in 2002 and convicted of violating dozens of six-year-old students. The abuse was never acknowledged by other adults in the community who claimed not to believe the accounts of the victim children.

After moving to the village, Cendrey and his wife discovered that the teacher of one of their children had been sexually abusing his students for more than three decades. Cendrey, who was himself a victim of childhood abuse, opens the book with a recollection of the death of his father and his own resistance to attending his funeral. He then proceeds to describe how he interviewed former pupils of the teacher, and when he was certain of the evidence, physically took the teacher to the police. Cendrey and his family later left the village after denouncing the crimes and the villagers who had delayed justice and allowed the abuse to continue with their silence. The teacher received a sentence of fifteen years imprisonment.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

French Review, February, 2000, Tom Conner, review of Trou-Madame, p. 586; February, 2001, Alain-Philippe Durand, review of Les Petites Sœurs de sang, p. 591.