Émile
Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (1840 –1902) was a French novelist, playwright,
journalist, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism,
and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism.
He was a
major figure in the political liberalization of France and in the exoneration
of the falsely accused and convicted army officer Alfred Dreyfus, which is
encapsulated in the renowned newspaper headline J'Accuse…!
Zola was
nominated for the first and second Nobel Prize in Literature in 1901 and 1902.
Zola died on 29 September 1902 of carbon monoxide poisoning
caused by an improperly ventilated chimney. His funeral on 5 October was
attended by thousands.
In 1953, an investigation ("Zola a-t-il été
assassiné?") published by the journalist Jean Borel in the newspaper
Libération raises the idea that Zola's death might have been a murder rather
than an accident. It is based on the revelation of the Norman pharmacist Pierre
Hacquin, who was told by the chimney sweeper Henri Buronfosse that the latter
intentionally blocked the chimney of Zola's apartment in Paris.
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