Péret, Benjamin (1899–1959)

Abstract

Benjamin Péret was a French surrealist poet whose expansive body of work exemplifies the surrealist commitment to adventure, sacrilege, and irrational, marvellous imagery. Born at the turn of the century in Rezé, Péret participated in Paris Dada before joining the surrealist movement. He authored over 30 volumes of poetry, essays, and fiction, and co-edited the first three issues of the journal La Révolution surréaliste, the movement’s mouthpiece during its founding years.