Independence evokes a foundational moment in Pierre Guyotat's life, while he was serving as a soldier during the Algerian war: his arrest and imprisonment by French military security for political rebellion.

This text was written for a special issue of the Nouvelle Revue Francaise, the literary magazine which greatly contributed to shaping French literary history during the course of the twentieth century. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the publishing company, Les Editions Gallimard, which houses the magazine, each contributor was invited to submit a text written in relation to a novel which they felt encapsulated the century.

Independence was published on the occasion of a series of readings organized with Pierre Guyotat in the US,  April - May 2011.