Dominique Lapierre Dies at 91; French Author Was Known for His India-Based Books Freedom at Midnight and City of Joy
The acclaimed French writer and Padma Bhushan awardee passed away on December 4. He was the author of the bestselling Freedom at Midnight and City of Joy, as well as an investigative account of the Bhopal gas tragedy.
Renowned French author Dominique Lapierre is no more. He who had a passion for India, passed away at the age of 91. His wife Dominique Conchon-Lapierre confirmed his passing away to a French newspaper Var-Matin on Sunday. "At 91, he died of old age," she told the newspaper, adding that she is "at peace and serene since Dominique is no longer suffering". Lapierre, who was born on July 30, 1931, in Chatelaillon, wrote many books on India like Freedom at Midnight and City of Joy, which sold millions of copies. Hans Magnus Enzensberger Dies: German Author and Intellectual Passes Away at 93 in Munich.
He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2008. Freedom at Midnight is a factual account of the events leading up to Indian independence, beginning with the appointment of Lord Mountbatten of Burma as the last Viceroy of British India and ending with Mahatma Gandhi's assassination and funeral. His 1985 book City of Joy describes the struggles of a rickshaw puller in Kolkata which was adapted into a film starring Patrick Swayze in 1992. Bob McGrath Dies at 90; Veteran Actor Was Known for His Role in Sesame Street.
A lot of Lapierre's royalty from City of Joy was donated to charitable projects in India. The City of Joy tells the story of the unsung heroes of Kolkata's Pilkhana slum. Lapierre donated half of the revenues from this book to many humanitarian projects in Kolkata, including leprosy and polio children's refuge centres, dispensaries, schools, rehabilitation workshops, education programmes, hygienic actions, and hospital boats. To process and channel the charitable money, he established the Action Aid for Calcutta Lepers' Children (registered in France as Action pour les enfants des lepreux de Calcutta).
Lapierre and Larry Collins wrote several other books together, the last being Is New York Burning? in 2005.O Jerusalem (1972), Or I'll Dress You in Mourning (1968), Freedom at Midnight (1975), The Fifth Horseman (1980), along with Is New York Burning? were co-written by the two legendary authors.