Claude Simon, Nobel Prize winner for literature in 1985, is a leading figure of 20th century literature. In his work he has always mixed literature with the practice of the image: whether it is the photography of graffiti or the modeling of clippings or montages of his novels, or the description of colors and shapes.

For the first time, three simultaneous, joint and complementary exhibitions at Musée La Piscine - Musée d'art et d'industrie André Diligent de Roubaix, the Villa Marguerite Yourcenar of Saint-Jans-Cappel and the château Coquelle de Dunkerque, present the itinerary artistic and literary by Claude Simon. For the first time, works whose existence was not known until recently are exhibited, and these discoveries provide new keys to understanding his novels.

The exhibition at Villa Marguerite Yourcenar is dedicated to the literary creation of Claude Simon and his relationship with History. Among others, the following are on display: historical documents from the Second World War taken from the author's archive; his drawings; the fascinating manuscripts of "La Route des Flandres". The whole thing is completed by the unprecedented presentation of some drawings by Gastone Novelli with the pages of the "Jardin des Plantes" in which Claude Simon dedicates a lot of space to his artist friend.