Saint-John Perse

Alexis Leger was born on 31 May 1887 and lived two lives: one as a diplomat under his real name, another as Saint-John Perse, the poet. He kept the identities separate, publishing work that combined what the Nobel committee in 1960 described as "soaring flight" and "evocative imagery." The prize citation singled out how his poetry captured the conditions of the time through a visionary lens. He died on 20 September 1975, having spent decades moving between conference rooms and the page.