Frederic Dard French writer Date of Birth: 29.06.1921 Country: France

1. Biography of Frederic Dard
2. The Origins of the Pseudonym
3. Wide Range of Works
4. International Recognition
5. Acclaim

Biography of Frederic Dard

Frederic Dard, also known as San-Antonio, was a French writer who gained worldwide fame for his novels about the adventures of police commissioner San-Antonio. Written from his perspective, these books featured his loyal subordinate, the modern-day Gargantua, Inspector Berurier. In France, it is difficult to find a family that does not have any San-Antonio book in their library. In fact, Frederic Dard is considered the most-read author of the 20th and early 21st centuries, with a total circulation of over 300 million copies of his books. Currently, at least three books are reissued every month.

The Origins of the Pseudonym

The pseudonym San-Antonio was chosen by Frederic Dard completely by chance. He pointed his finger at a map of the United States to come up with an English-sounding name for his new hero.

Wide Range of Works

In total, Frederic Dard authored 288 novels, 250 novellas, 20 theatrical productions, and 16 movie scripts. His works are characterized by a distinctive, easily recognizable humor and sarcasm. They are filled with deliberately coarse wordplay, slang, and neologisms, known as "sanantonianisms" of which there are around 20,000. Translating his works is extremely challenging. In France, a "San-Antonio Dictionary" has even been published, containing 15,000 entries.

International Recognition

Despite the translation difficulties, Frederic Dard's books have been published in various languages, including Italian, Romanian, English, and a significant number in Russian (compared to English editions). According to Philippe Rousseau's "Translation Catalog," there have been 435 translations in 33 countries. Many of his works have undergone multiple reprints, with "The History of France through San-Antonio's Eyes" being reissued 18 times. Four films have been made based on San-Antonio's novels, although it is believed that movies cannot fully capture the wordplay found in the original works. Frederic Dard's last novel was published posthumously and completed by his son, Patrice Dard.

Acclaim

Jacques Chirac referred to Frederic Dard as the "wizard of the French language."