The Secret Life of a Cemetery
The Wild Nature and Enchanting Lore of Pere-Lachaise
Will be published approx. on 1. May 2025
Book
Hardback
240 pages
978-1-77840-158-9 (ISBN)
Description
'The Secret Life of a Cemetery is no maudlin reflection on death and remembrance...With its fox cubs and anecdotes (it) allows us a privileged glimpse of Gallot's world, full of wonder and life.'-The Observer
From the head curator of the most famous cemetery in the world-a moving and "enchanting" (Guardian) story about a place where joy, grief, and wild nature converge in unexpected and inspiring ways.
For Benoit Gallot, Pere Lachaise is best explored without a guide: You're guaranteed to lose your way. You'll feel as though you've stepped out of time, out of Paris, and into another place entirely. In his debut memoir, Gallot, head curator of Pere Lachaise and son of a grave stonemason, pulls back the curtains on his otherworldly workplace-a cemetery crammed with tourists in the high season and mourners year-round, but also a natural paradise, where foxes roam, birds flit between trees, and wildflowers and moss encroach onto tombstones.
In elegant, engrossing chapters, Gallot reveals the secret world of Pere Lachaise-its Napoleonic origins, its unusual graves and monuments-alongside touching stories from his working life in the cemetery. Born into a family of undertakers, Gallot was named curator of Pere-Lachaise in his early-thirties, inheriting the complex job of managing over 40 hectares of green space, overseeing 70,000 graves, and arranging burials and cremations, all while contending with millions of tourists-plus film crews, birdwatchers, ghost hunters, and the occasional nude performance artist. Gallot, who also lives on the cemetery grounds with his wife and young children, demystifies his unusual and often misunderstood profession, which in reality requires much more contact with living people than dead ones. In doing so, he provides insight into the history of graveyards and our evolving relationship with death.
Gallot also shares vivid descriptions of flora and fauna, which have reemerged in recent years thanks to a huge rewilding effort. Initially unsure about the idea, he embraced it as the cemetery alleys blossomed and birdsong proliferated. Then in April 2020, with the city in lockdown, Gallot took an early-morning stroll and crossed paths with a fox-in the middle of Paris! He snapped a picture and posted it, unwittingly setting off a media frenzy. Gallot's daily photographs of Pere-Lachaise's flourishing animal and plant life have attracted followers from around the world, helping to change the public perception of cemeteries, which ultimately exist as places for the living.
A bestseller in France, lauded as 'a superb book ... full of humour, empathy, and great sweetness' by the French literary press, The Secret Life of a Cemetery is a life-affirming read that will stand the test of time.
From the head curator of the most famous cemetery in the world-a moving and "enchanting" (Guardian) story about a place where joy, grief, and wild nature converge in unexpected and inspiring ways.
For Benoit Gallot, Pere Lachaise is best explored without a guide: You're guaranteed to lose your way. You'll feel as though you've stepped out of time, out of Paris, and into another place entirely. In his debut memoir, Gallot, head curator of Pere Lachaise and son of a grave stonemason, pulls back the curtains on his otherworldly workplace-a cemetery crammed with tourists in the high season and mourners year-round, but also a natural paradise, where foxes roam, birds flit between trees, and wildflowers and moss encroach onto tombstones.
In elegant, engrossing chapters, Gallot reveals the secret world of Pere Lachaise-its Napoleonic origins, its unusual graves and monuments-alongside touching stories from his working life in the cemetery. Born into a family of undertakers, Gallot was named curator of Pere-Lachaise in his early-thirties, inheriting the complex job of managing over 40 hectares of green space, overseeing 70,000 graves, and arranging burials and cremations, all while contending with millions of tourists-plus film crews, birdwatchers, ghost hunters, and the occasional nude performance artist. Gallot, who also lives on the cemetery grounds with his wife and young children, demystifies his unusual and often misunderstood profession, which in reality requires much more contact with living people than dead ones. In doing so, he provides insight into the history of graveyards and our evolving relationship with death.
Gallot also shares vivid descriptions of flora and fauna, which have reemerged in recent years thanks to a huge rewilding effort. Initially unsure about the idea, he embraced it as the cemetery alleys blossomed and birdsong proliferated. Then in April 2020, with the city in lockdown, Gallot took an early-morning stroll and crossed paths with a fox-in the middle of Paris! He snapped a picture and posted it, unwittingly setting off a media frenzy. Gallot's daily photographs of Pere-Lachaise's flourishing animal and plant life have attracted followers from around the world, helping to change the public perception of cemeteries, which ultimately exist as places for the living.
A bestseller in France, lauded as 'a superb book ... full of humour, empathy, and great sweetness' by the French literary press, The Secret Life of a Cemetery is a life-affirming read that will stand the test of time.
Reviews / Votes
Finalist for the 2025 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards, History Category"The Secret Life of a Cemetery can be read as a memoir of the author, but it may be more accurately understood as a biography of Pere-Lachaise-a place of rich history, lore and misunderstanding. . . . Considering the somber subject, Mr. Gallot's jovial tone may surprise. His sprightly text, ably translated from the French by Arielle Aaronson, may crack a smile on even the most stone-faced among us."
-Wall Street Journal
"The Secret Life of a Cemetery is Gallot's loving and informative paean to the 110 acre cemetery in which 1.3 million bodies are buried including many celebrities including: Frederic Chopin, Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison and Camille Pissarro. Gallot's informal, almost breezy prose lightens the weighty subject matter as he dissects the many aspects of end-of-life situations."
-The Valley Breeze
"[A] kind of love letter ... Not only is this a book that answers, fact for fact, everything you ever wanted to know about Pere-Lachaise but were afraid to ask, it is also a portrait of a person who truly loves his work."
-Sadie Stein, The New York Times
"The Secret Life of a Cemetery is a paean to the renowned Parisian cemetery, Pere Lachaise....[A]s crammed with quirky facts as the 110-acre cemetery is crammed with burial plots."
-NPR
"The Secret Life of a Cemetery is no maudlin reflection on death and remembrance...With its fox cubs and anecdotes (it) allows us a privileged glimpse of Gallot's world, full of wonder and life."
-The Observer
"Contrasting solemn resplendence with the vibrancy of renewal, The Secret Life of a Cemetery is a historical and cultural delight."
-Foreword
"[An] enchanting portrait of [Gallot's] otherworldly workplace."
-The Bookseller
"[D]elightful and thoughtful ... A spirited look at life inside Pere-Lachaise, as told by its philosophical and funny curator."
-Kirkus Reviews
"A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the world's most famous cemetery, this book unlocks the many mysteries of Pere-Lachaise. It's filled with beautiful anecdotes about the rich meaning to be found in a life caring for the dead and their families."
-Bess Lovejoy, author of Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses
"A fascinating, witty, and delightful book about life among the Parisian dead."
-Peter Ross, author of A Tomb With A View
"Pere-Lachaise, the second international cemetery I ever visited, made me fall in love with the history, the celebrities, the amazing sculpture. This book opened my eyes to Pere-Lachaise as a living organism. As much as I've read about the cemetery, I see it in a new light now. The Secret Life of a Cemetery made me long to visit again!"
-Loren Rhoads, author of 222 Cemeteries to See Before You Die
"This book is full of surprises about the world's most famous resting place-from the fascinating and amusing histories Gallot reveals to the eloquent, page-turning prose. Each chapter took me on a new turn down Pere-Lachaise's famed cobblestone walkways. What a delight to read! The Secret Life of a Cemetery will now occupy a cherished spot on my bookshelf."
-Greg Melville, author of Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America's Cemeteries
"Paris's famous cemetery is as full of life and history as the city itself."
-Stephen Clarke, author of 1000 Years of Annoying the French
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Canada
Product notice
With dust jacket
Illustrations
19 B&W photos throughout
Dimensions
Height: 193 mm
Width: 138 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
328 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-77840-158-9 (9781778401589)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
04/2025
Greystone Books
€17.49
Available for download
Persons
Benoit Gallot has been the curator of Pere Lachaise Cemetery since 2018 and was born into a family of grave stonemasons. His Instagram account, @la_vie_au_cimetiere, has attracted a growing community of followers captivated by his photographs of the animals that have made the Parisian landmark their home. He lives on the grounds of the cemetery with his family.
Arielle Aaronson is a French-to-English translator of books, films, TV, and more. Her translations have been shortlisted for the 2023 Governor General's Literary Award and longlisted for the 2021 Canada Reads book of the year. She lives in Montreal, Quebec, with her family.
Arielle Aaronson is a French-to-English translator of books, films, TV, and more. Her translations have been shortlisted for the 2023 Governor General's Literary Award and longlisted for the 2021 Canada Reads book of the year. She lives in Montreal, Quebec, with her family.
Content
Translator's Note
Preface
16, Rue du Repos
Tombstone Tourism
Life at the Cemetery
The Flagship
The Funeral Bug
Fashion Victims
An Unusual Job
A Stroll Among the Graves
Bubbles of Hope
The Tissue Box
You Can't Outfox a Fox
Time to Celebrate
Living Among the Dead
Ghost Stories
Under the Parisian Sky
The Legend of Jim
No Dead-End Jobs Here
VIP Treatment
The Same World
Dying Is Really the Last Thing to Do
Glossary of Funerary Symbols
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography
Preface
16, Rue du Repos
Tombstone Tourism
Life at the Cemetery
The Flagship
The Funeral Bug
Fashion Victims
An Unusual Job
A Stroll Among the Graves
Bubbles of Hope
The Tissue Box
You Can't Outfox a Fox
Time to Celebrate
Living Among the Dead
Ghost Stories
Under the Parisian Sky
The Legend of Jim
No Dead-End Jobs Here
VIP Treatment
The Same World
Dying Is Really the Last Thing to Do
Glossary of Funerary Symbols
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography