Beckett's hideout

EMMA CULLINANEuncovers Beckett's wartime hideaway in France

A house in the south of France where Samuel Beckett lived during the second World War, is for sale at €795,000 through French agent Emile Garcin.

The Irish playwright moved to Roussillon after fleeing from Paris, with his wife Suzanne, to escape the Germans when their Resistance cell was compromised, and stayed there from 1942-1945.

Beckett wrote his novel Wattwhile in the house, which is between the picturesque villages of Roussillon and Gordes in Provence.

When he returned to Paris Beckett wrote En Attendant Godotbetween October 1948 and January 1949 (later translated by him into Waiting for Godot).

There is a reference to Roussillon in the play – Vladimir tells Estragon of the wine harvest and red earth there and the scenery around this house does resemble certain sets from stagings of the play. It certainly is an inspiring place, with views over the countryside.

The south-facing house is at the foot of one of Roussillon’s spectacular ochre cliffs – containing yellow, orange and red clay – and sits on about one hectare of land.

On the ground floor the 180sq m (1,937sq ft) house has a kitchen that spills onto a terrace, a dining room, living room with fireplace, study, two bedrooms, bathroom, toilet and laundry. Upstairs there are three bedrooms.

Marseille airport and Avignon (which has a station) are less than an hour away.

ROUSSILLON, PROVENCE France

AgentEmile Garcin