Philippe Besson, a renowned French writer, was born on January 29, 1967, in the charming town of Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire, located in the Charente region. With a strong educational background in law, Besson's passion for storytelling was ignited in 1999 while reading accounts of ex-servicemen who fought in the First World War.
This life-changing experience inspired Besson to pen his debut novel, En l'absence des hommes, which boasted a daring and innovative approach by featuring Marcel Proust as a central character. The novel's exceptional quality earned Besson the prestigious Prix Emmanuel Roblès.
Besson's subsequent novel, Son Frère, received critical acclaim and was shortlisted for the esteemed Prix Femina. Moreover, the novel was adapted into a cinematic masterpiece by Patrice Chéreau in 2003, which garnered widespread acclaim and won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.
