Greystone Books UK scoops an account of the 'world's most famous graveyard' by Benoît Gallot

Greystone Books UK has acquired The Secret Life of a Cemetery: The Wild Nature and Enchanting Lore of Père-Lachaise, by Benoît Gallot, translated by Arielle Aaronson. 

Publisher Jen Gauthier acquired world English eights from the French publisher Éditions Les Arènes for an undisclosed sum. "With millions of visitors every year, Paris’s Père-Lachaise Cemetery is best known as the final resting place of Oscar Wilde, Édith Piaf and Jim Morrison, among hundreds of other luminaries," the synopsis says. "Benoît Gallot — who became curator in 2018, at just 37, and lives in the cemetery grounds with his wife and four children — has overseen the cemetery’s blossoming into a re-wilded urban paradise [...] The Secret Life of a Cemetery — his first book — reveals the hidden world of Père-Lachaise, where foxes hide among the graves and brightly-dressed tourists bump up against mourners."

Andrew Furlow, head of Greystone Books UK, said: "As an unashamed cemetery-phile, I’m absolutely delighted we are publishing Benoît’s book. That The Secret Life of a Cemetery gives us such a rich and layered portrait of life — and death — in a cemetery is incredibly enticing but that it’s set at the mother of them all, Père-Lachaise, makes it unmissable." 

Gallot added: "I am delighted that Greystone will be bringing my book to English readers next year. Millions of visitors flock to our mythical and prestigious Père Lachaise each year but I wanted to reveal what goes on behind the scenes. There is not only death in a cemetery, and far from being sad, it is a soothing place where life goes on: foxes rub shoulders with Jean de La Fontaine and birds sing for Jim Morrison... I feel hugely privileged to be entrusted with the care of Père Lachaise and I hope Greystone’s edition sees my love of this cemetery to be shared with thousands more readers."