Maxime Decout

Maxime Decout is a Professor in 20th and 21st century French literature at Aix-Marseille University since 2019. Previously, he served as a Senior Lecturer (tenured) at Lille University (2012–2019) and held teaching roles in Lyon (2009–2012; 2005–2009). His research focuses on French literature, Jewish studies, Holocaust studies, and textual analysis, with a particular emphasis on authors like Albert Cohen and Georges Perec.

He has been elected as a junior member of the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF) in 2018. Decout is a co-founder of scholarly associations including InterCriPol (2017) and LIEJ (Literature and Jewishness) (2019), and has organized international symposia and seminars on French Jewish writers. His academic contributions include over 60 peer-reviewed articles, 25 chapters in edited volumes, and 13 edited books.

• Notable Publications:
  • Albert Cohen: les fictions de la judéité (2011)
  • Écrire la judéité. Enquête sur un malaise dans la littérature française (2015)
  • En toute mauvaise foi. Sur un paradoxe littéraire (2015)
  • Qui a peur de l’imitation? (2017)
  • Pouvoirs de l’imposture (2018)
  • Album Romain Gary (2019)
  • Éloge du mauvais lecteur (2021)

Decout has presented 50 papers at symposia (23 invited), delivered 60 invited lectures (22 abroad), and contributed to radio programs and editorial projects, including editing Georges Perec’s works for Gallimard’s Bibliothèque de la Pléiade (2017). His research explores themes of lies, bad faith, imitation, and imposture in literature.