Quiévreux, Louis

(1902-1969)

   A journalist and essayist, who wrote under the name of Jef Lawaait, French-language author Louis Quiévreux penned works about Brussels that chronicled events in the city's daily life. Born in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Quiévreux was a prolific writer of stories. His works included Mes milles et un Bruxelles (My thousand and one Brussels [1961]), a collection of tales that entail a picturesque and oftentimes amusing look at the city's residents. The inhabitants of the Marolles, whose dialect Quiévreux learned, occupy a central place in the stories. He penned a daily article in La Lanterne entitled "Un jour qui passe" An ardent urban preservationist—he sought unsuccessfully to save the Mont des Arts from redevelopment—Quiévreux was a leader in efforts to protect and restore the Îlot Sacré, a term that he coined. He died on 21 October 1969.