FRANZ HELLENS

Franz Hellens is the pseudonym of Frédéric Van Ermengem, born on September 8, 1881 in Brussels and died on January 20, 1972 in the same city, was a Belgian novelist, poet, essayist, magazine director and art critic. Influenced by Edgar Poe, he is known as one of the major representatives of fantastic literature in Belgium. But he was also the tireless animator of Belgian Letters, notably of the magazine first called Signaux de France et de Belgique then Le Disque vert (1922-1941). It was he who discovered Henri Michaux, before Jean Paulhan took over. Michaux was also part of the editorial committee of the magazine Le Disque vert from 1923 to 1925, publishing many of his early writings there.