John Simenon has donated the entirety of the archival documents relating to his father’s work. He has created the Simenon Heritage Fund within the King Baudouin Foundation, which will henceforth ensure its perpetuity.

The donation includes manuscripts and typescripts, correspondence, books, photographs, films and magazines and newspapers relating to his books, as well as some of the writer’s furniture and objects that he treasured.

This fund pays homage to the internationally renowned novelist who, throughout his career and his works, retained a special attachment to Belgium, the country of his birth, and to Liege in particular.

Georges Simenon had already bequeathed the manuscripts and documents that constituted the Georges Simenon Fund to the Centre d'Études Georges Simenon at the University of Liege. John Simenon’s recent donation to the King Baudouin Foundation completes this donation with a considerable and complementary collection.

Included in the documents is a wealth of private and business correspondence, typescripts and manuscripts, notably that of Un nouveau dans la ville, the original pre-publishing versions of his work that appeared in French and foreign newspapers and magazines, the complete collection of his first editions in French, a significant part of the original editions in major foreign languages and a considerable collection of cinema material relating to films based on his books (posters, related books, advertising booklets etc.) and the entire contents of the exhibition L’Œil de Simenon that brought together a selection of photos taken by Simenon during the five long trips that provided inspiration for so many of his works, as well as a number of his favourite belongings including his pipe and his golden ruler.

Belgium has thus acquired a unique heritage that had hitherto been kept in Switzerland, whilst the most important sources relating to Georges Simenon and his work have now been brought together in Belgium.

The King Baudouin Foundation would like to express its heartfelt gratitude to John Simenon.

The Simenon Heritage Fund will work closely with the Centre d'Études Georges Simenon and the future Simenon Museum and Centre in Liege, which will also benefit from its support.

A complete inventory of the documents and objects is currently being undertaken. Detailed information will be provided later, once all of the various undertakings have been completed.

« The creation of this fund will promote Simenon’s Belgian roots and is part of the fascinating perspective of developing a museum centre in Liege devoted to Georges Simenon. I was interested to note the enthusiasm shown in creating synergies with the Georges Simenon Fund of the University of Liege. At a personal level, I am absolutely delighted to be associated with creating this new means of promoting and furthering knowledge of Simenon’s work »
Benoît Denis, Lecturer in French Literature, University of Liege and a Simenon specialist.

« I am delighted and proud that the King Baudouin Foundation has accepted to welcome the Simenon Heritage Fund and its collection. Creating the fund has enabled me to return the collection to Belgium and safeguard its future, as well as increasing its accessibility, preventing the collection from being dispersed and ensuring that it will be managed flexibly but rigorously with the inestimable scientific support of the Centre d'Études Georges Simenon in Liege, which will of course have privileged access to all of the documents. I should particularly like to thank all the of the King Baudouin Foundation’s services, who have advised and helped me throughout the process of making this donation. My thanks also go to Benoît Denis, Director of the Centre d’Études Simenon in Liege and member of the Scientific Committee of the forthcoming Simenon Museum Centre, for having personally accepted to be part of the Management Committee of the Simenon Heritage Fund. »
John Simenon