André Breton

André Breton was a French poet and author, author of the Surrealist manifesto of 1924, in which he defined surrealism as pure psychic automatism. He was born in 1896 at Tinchebray (Orne) in Normandy and joined the Dadaist movement in 1916.

In 1919 he and Philippe Soupault he produced the first volume of automatic writing, Les Champs Magnetiques.

He later joined the Surrealists and was editor of La revolution surrealiste from 1924. His works include a novel, Nadja (1928). He died in 1966.

Must read:

• "What is Surrealism?: Selected Writings of André Breton" (edited and with an Introduction by Franklin Rosemont).