13 Interesting Facts About Emile Zola

Do you want to know some interesting facts about Emile Zola?

Emile Zola was a significant figure known for his impactful contributions to literature, journalism, and social justice. He was a leading French writer in the 19th century, renowned for his naturalistic novels and his involvement in the Dreyfus Affair.

Zola, nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in both 1901 and 1902, unquestionably ranks among the most esteemed French authors in history. However, there’s more to Emile Zola than just his literary and political roles.

His life was full of surprises that showed how complex and human he was. He once stated, “If you ask me why I was born, I’ll tell you: I was born to live boldly.” And he absolutely did.

Here are some interesting facts about Emile Zola that are worth knowing.

13 Interesting Facts About Emile Zola

1. Emile Zola had quite a multicultural heritage

Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola was born in the city of Paris in 1840. His family had an interesting mix of backgrounds. His dad, François Zola, originally had the name Francesco Zolla and was an Italian engineer.

He had some Greek roots as well. François was born in Venice, Italy, in 1795 and did some impressive work engineering the Zola Dam in Aix-en-Provence. On the other hand, Zola’s mom, Émilie Aubert, was French.

2. His father passed away when he was seven years old

Emile Zola was three years old when his family packed up and headed down to the sunny south of France, to Aix-en-Provence. However, life took a tough turn when his father passed away when he was seven. It was a bit of a struggle for Zola and his mother as they lived a very simple life.

Zola had a big dream, though. He wanted to be a writer. This dream took him back to Paris, much to his mother’s disappointment, as she had hoped he’d become a lawyer.

3. He failed his baccalaureate exam twice

The baccalaureate exam is a test that high school students in France take to prove their academic level and pursue higher studies.

As previously mentioned, Emile Zola’s mother wanted him to become a lawyer.  Part of his decision to give up on this career was his failure to score the baccalaureate exam. In fact, he failed the exam twice.

He decided to move to Paris and work as a clerk, a journalist, and a writer. He later said that failing the exam was the best thing that ever happened to him, as it allowed him to pursue his passion for literature.

4. Zola and his wife didn’t have children

Emile Zola married Eleonore-Alexandrine Meley in 1870, but the couple never had any children of their own. Interestingly, Meley had a child prior to meeting Zola, whom she had to give up for adoption.

Zola made a heartfelt attempt to locate the girl, only to discover that she had sadly passed away shortly after being born.

5. Zola had a secret affair and two children with his seamstress

In 1888, Zola started a relationship with Jeanne Rozerot, who was a seamstress living with him and his wife. Together, they had two children – a son named Jacques and a daughter named Denise.

At first, Meley, his wife, was quite upset when she found out about the affair, and she even considered divorcing Zola. However, in time, she found it in her heart to forgive him and embraced their children as her own.

6. Emile Zola was a pioneer of photography

Zola had quite the knack for both words and images. He was one of the early trailblazers who used photography as a form of art to complement his storytelling.

Zola got his hands on a camera in 1888, but it wasn’t until 1895 that he really dove into photography. Once he did, he couldn’t get enough of it. Zola fell head over heels for photography, trying out all sorts of techniques and snapping shots of just about everything – himself, his family, buddies, his home, the garden, and all the cool places he visited. He used photography to help with his writing.

7. Zola had many enemies

Zola faced a lot of opposition because of his involvement in the Dreyfus Affair, a significant political scandal that shook France.

In a courageous move, he wrote an open letter titled “J’accuse…!” (English: “I Accuse…!”), where he leveled allegations of anti-Semitism and injustice against both the military and the government, asserting that they had wrongly convicted Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish army officer, on false charges of espionage for Germany, which led to his conviction for treason.

Zola’s “J’accuse…!” letter landed him in trouble. He was sued for libel and even served time in prison.

8. Zola was exiled in England

Emile Zola was already a famous novelist when the Dreydus Affair happened. He was exiled in England for almost a year in 1898-1899.

He had to flee from France after he was convicted of libel for exposing the antisemitism and corruption of the French military and government, which sparked a political and social crisis in France.

9. Zola arrived in London with no luggage or knowledge of English

Zola arrived in London on a summer day, July 19, 1898, with nothing but himself and no clue about the English language. He hopped around different hotels and boarding houses, mostly in the south London neighborhood of Norwood.

10. He continued to write while in exile

During his time in exile in London, Emile Zola felt quite lonely and often found himself battling boredom. Despite the obstacles, however.

He persevered in following his passions. He kept on writing captivating novels and thought-provoking articles. It was also in London where he picked up photography as a hobby.

11. He was pardoned by the French president in June 1899

The French president Emile Loubet granted Zola a presidential pardon in June of 1899, after the French writer had been condemned for defamation and exiled in England for his role in the Dreyfus Affair.

Zola’s pardon was part of a political effort to resolve the scandal and restore the reputation of the Third French Republic. In September of the 1899, Emile Zola joyfully returned home to France.

12. Zola’s death was as mysterious as it was tragic

On September 29, 1902, something really tragic happened. His wife and the maid discovered him lifeless in his bedroom. It turned out he had passed away due to carbon monoxide poisoning from a blocked chimney. While the police labeled it as an accident, there were whispers of possible foul play in the air.

Many people thought that Zola’s passing might have been a plot by his rivals. Interestingly, years down the line, a roofer actually confessed to blocking Zola’s chimney on someone else’s orders, but he later changed his story before he passed away.

13. He was buried twice

Zola’s funeral brought together thousands of people who came to both grieve his loss and honor his incredible legacy. His final resting place was at the Montmartre Cemetery in Paris, a hallowed ground where numerous renowned artists and writers have found their eternal rest.

But in 1908, the French government wanted to pay their respects to him, so they decided to move his remains to the Pantheon, a place where the nation’s heroes rest.

Unfortunately, during the ceremony, there was an unsettling incident when a right-wing extremist disrupted it by firing shots at Zola’s coffin, causing injuries to two individuals. Thankfully, the assailant was apprehended and later sentenced to a year in prison.

Zola’s coffin has found its resting place in the Pantheon, right alongside the great Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas.