The Glass Cage

Georges Simenon was a publicist’s dream. He was famed in particular for two great publishing publicity stunts, both of which gained massive attention – and one of which never took place.

In 1927, the young Simenon – already famous in some circles for the speed with which he could turn out a novel – agreed an audacious publicity stunt with the newspaper publisher Eugène Merle.

Merle, creator of the evening paper Paris-Soir, planned to start up a morning paper Paris-Matinal. To help publicise its launch, Merle persuaded Simenon – a contributor to Paris-Soir – to be locked in a glass cage for seven days outside the Moulin Rouge where he would write a novel for serialisation in the new paper. The title and key characters of the novel – to be chosen by the public – would conveyed to Simenon just prior to entering the cage. Simenon was offered 100,000 francs for the project, half on signature and half on completion of the novel. 

Although Simeon received his 50,000 franc advance, and although Paris-Matinal did start up, the glass cage publicity stunt never actually took place: Paris-Matinal folded soon after its launch in 1927.

But the advance publicity about the event – helped by a massive poster campaign – was so successful that the legend grew that the event had actually taken place. “A sensational exploit” trumpeted the posters, “one of the best of the young generation of novelists will write a record-breaking novel, a record for speed, for endurance and, let’s face it, for talent, enclosed in a glass cage under the constant inspection of the public.”