Claude Gallimard

Claude Gallimard (born January 10, 1914 – died) was a French businessman and publisher. He managed the Gallimard publishing house for over 30 years.

Biography

The son of publisher and bookseller Gaston Gallimard, he took over the family business after World War II. In 1945, the elder Gallimard had been accused of collaborating with the Nazi enemy. His literary magazine NRF was suspended, and the company had to reinvent itself. The prestigious La Pléiade collection was launched in 1943.

From a small publishing house founded by his father in 1911, Claude Gallimard worked tirelessly to turn it into a successful enterprise. Thanks to his efforts, Éditions Gallimard became a global player in publishing and the press. For a time, he rivaled his cousin Michel Gallimard, a close friend of novelist Albert Camus, who died alongside Camus in a car accident in January 1960.

After the death of his father on 15 at the age of 94, Claude became president of the group.

Married to Simone Cornu, the couple had four children, all connected to the publishing world: Françoise, Christian, Antoine, and Isabelle.

In 1988, due to illness, Claude Gallimard handed over management of the group to his son Antoine Gallimard, after his eldest son, Christian Gallimard, had left the family business. He is buried in the cemetery of Pressagny-l'Orgueilleux, near his father's grave.