French Literature Reviews - 2026

A. Veinstein, Radio sauvage
History, Politics and Society

Alain Veinstein

Radio sauvage

Seuil

Coll. Fiction & Cie

276 p.

ISBN : 9782020925655

Publisher's description:

A declaration of love to radio by the creator of Nuits magnétiques, which commands a deeply devoted audience. Part confession, it is also a reflection on the art of radio broadcasting, crafted as much from silence as from speech.

Bringing together various forms of narrative about radio, this book is neither a technical manual nor a socio-historical essay, neither a theoretical treatise nor—least of all—a memoir or a polemic on this medium of communication.

Nor is it a work of fiction, unlike L'intervieweur, published by the author in 2002.

Instead, it is intended as a passionate chronicle of a high-tension practice that began in 1978 on France Culture with the creation of Nuits magnétiques, and continued with other programs, notably Surpris par la nuit and Du jour au lendemain—a daily interview with a writer, which remains on the air today.

Alain Veinstein retraces the twists of fate that brought him to the microphone, despite what he calls his "past of silence."

He speaks of that distinct kind of "savagery" that has continually inspired his various radio projects, as well as the passion that has driven him forward along this increasingly intense yet ever-narrower path caught between conflicting impulses: the desire to remain silent and the obligation to speak.

Finally, Radio sauvage seeks to share the unique experience of the interview—woven from listening, speech, and silence—by inviting the reader right up to the microphone.

Radio broadcasting holds a distinctive place within contemporary French media culture, particularly through public networks like France Culture where long-form interviews and nocturnal programming emerged as spaces for intellectual exchange. Alain Veinstein developed this lineage across series such as Nuits magnétiques and Surpris par la nuit. Within the broader landscape of French cultural life, the radio interview developed into a specialized literary site where writers and thinkers could articulate their ideas beyond the printed page, balancing the demands of broadcasting with personal reflection on language and listening.

This publication explores the author's decades of experience at the microphone, examining the tension between speech and silence in daily broadcasting. It addresses the origins of his radio work starting in 1978, the nature of the interview format, and the personal trajectory that led him into the medium. Readers interested in contemporary French media history, radio production, and the aesthetics of broadcasting may find this work relevant to their pursuits.