We are saddened to announce that Paul Otchakovsky-Laurens died in a car crash in the French Antilles. This is a blow to all of the writers that POL publishes from their headquarters in Paris, and to literature worldwide. Dalkey Archive Publisher, John O’Brien, who considered him a close friend, said: “There was no publisher or editor like Paul in the United States or Europe. He was guided by a commitment to literature and an aesthetic vision that he never compromised over. His loyalty to authors was the hallmark of his generosity and commitment to the people he was so proud to publish. These are dark days.” He thought so highly of Paul that he devoted an entire issue of the Review of Contemporary Fiction to POL (Fall 2010). This was only the second time in over 37 years that an issue of the Review was dedicated to a publisher, the other being Grove Press and Barney Rosset. Among the many brilliant writers Paul published are Patrick Modiano, Catherine N’Diaye, Gérard Gavarry, Edouard Levé, Dumitru Tsepeneag, Christine Montalbetti, Jacques Jouet, and Jean-Luc Godard, among many others. His writers and friends are deeply crushed by this loss, as is Dalkey Archive. Our warmest condolences go out to all of them across the world.
