WRITER

Simon Leys

1935 - 2014

Photo of Simon Leys

Icon of person Simon Leys

Pierre Ryckmans (28 September 1935 – 11 August 2014), better known by his pen name Simon Leys, was a Belgian-Australian writer, essayist and literary critic, translator, art historian, sinologist, and university professor, who lived in Australia from 1970. His work particularly focused on the politics and traditional culture of China, calligraphy, French and English literature, the commercialization of universities, and nautical fiction. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Simon Leys has received more than 87,098 page views. His biography is available in 18 different languages on Wikipedia. Simon Leys is the 4,045th most popular writer (down from 3,621st in 2019), the 530th most popular biography from Belgium (down from 455th in 2019) and the 28th most popular Belgian Writer.

Memorability Metrics

  • 87k

    Page Views (PV)

  • 50.15

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 18

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 2.82

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 2.78

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Notable Works

Habits neufs du président Mao
History, Politics and government, Sources
1972
La mer dans la littérature française
French literature, Sea in literature
2003
The wreck of the Batavia
Batavia (Ship), Shipwrecks, Shipwreck victims
This book is actually comprised of two narratives; the true story of the wreck of the schooner Batavia, and an account of the author's brief trip on a Breton fishing boat. The Batavia was a Dutch merchant ship, sailing for the Dutch East India Company from Holland to Java, in 1629. The ship was wrecked off the coast of Western Australia and the survivors endured a harrowing experience under an officer out of control.; of 300 who made it to shore, 200 were slaughtered before a rescue vessel arrived. 65 pages. "Prosper" recounts the author's short time aboard one of the last sailing tuna fishing boats in 1958. 50 pages. Both accounts are interesting and informative.
2005
Mort de Napoléon
Fiction
1991
Broken images
History
1979
Ombres chinoises
Description and travel
1975
Ombres chinoises
Description and travel, China
1975
Broken images
History, Politics and government, Social conditions
1979
The Hall of Uselessness
Literature, Politics
2011
Habits neufs du président Mao
History, Politics and government, Sources
1972
The wreck of the Batavia
Batavia (Ship), Shipwrecks, Shipwreck victims
This book is actually comprised of two narratives; the true story of the wreck of the schooner Batavia, and an account of the author's brief trip on a Breton fishing boat. The Batavia was a Dutch merchant ship, sailing for the Dutch East India Company from Holland to Java, in 1629. The ship was wrecked off the coast of Western Australia and the survivors endured a harrowing experience under an officer out of control.; of 300 who made it to shore, 200 were slaughtered before a rescue vessel arrived. 65 pages. "Prosper" recounts the author's short time aboard one of the last sailing tuna fishing boats in 1958. 50 pages. Both accounts are interesting and informative.
2005
Mort de Napoléon
Fiction, Napoleon i, emperor of the french, 1769-1821
1991

Among WRITERS

Among writers, Simon Leys ranks 4,045 out of 7,302. Before him are Pyotr Vyazemsky, Yahya Kemal Beyatlı, Zenta Mauriņa, V. C. Andrews, Alaa Al Aswany, and Ivan Shmelyov. After him are Cecco Angiolieri, Karel Teige, Anna Langfus, Bret Harte, Chairil Anwar, and Marcel Jouhandeau.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1935, Simon Leys ranks 267. Before him are Kenneth Mars, Mario Bellini, Syd Field, Semka Sokolović-Bertok, Johnny Pacheco, and Sergei Yursky. After him are Dragan Tomić, Aulis Sallinen, Grant Green, Christina Pickles, Ryhor Baradulin, and Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi. Among people deceased in 2014, Simon Leys ranks 231. Before him are Marian Seldes, Jimi Jamison, Knut Nystedt, Carlos Borges, Vaçe Zela, and James Shigeta. After him are Hanna Maron, Wubbo Ockels, Sandra Bem, Ryhor Baradulin, Christopher Hogwood, and Maria Lassnig.

Others Born in 1935

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Others Deceased in 2014

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In Belgium

Among people born in Belgium, Simon Leys ranks 530 out of 1,190. Before him are Henri Coppens (1930), Jean-Pierre Monseré (1948), Ivo Van Damme (1954), Francis Goya (1946), Jan Fabre (1958), and Jean Aerts (1907). After him are Frans Pourbus the Elder (1545), Henri Jaspar (1870), Thomas Vermaelen (1985), Edouard Van Beneden (1846), Elias M. Stein (1931), and Michel Pollentier (1951).

Others born in Belgium

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Among WRITERS In Belgium

Among writers born in Belgium, Simon Leys ranks 28. Before him are Jean Ray (1887), Daniël Heinsius (1580), Heinrich von Veldeke (1150), Jan Gruter (1560), Caspar Barlaeus (1584), and Felix Timmermans (1886). After him are Georges Eekhoud (1854), Camille Lemonnier (1844), Louis Paul Boon (1912), Félicien Marceau (1913), Willem Elsschot (1882), and FM-2030 (1930).

Belgian born Writers

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