Florian Zeller

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Florian Zeller

Born June 28, 1979 (1979-06-28) (age 28)
Paris, France
Occupation novelist, playwright, journalist
Nationality French
Writing period 2002 -
Genres literary fiction, theatre, librettos, journalism
Literary movement Postmodernism
Influences

Florian Zeller (born 28 June 1979 in Paris) is a French novelist and playwright. His work has been translated into a dozen languages, including English. He won the Prix Interallié in 2004 for his novel "Fascination of Evil" ("La Fascination du Pire").

Contents

[edit] Biography

Florian Zeller was born in Paris on June 28, 1979 and grew up in Britanny. His father worked in the automotive industry in France and Germany. His mother is a psychic.

He was admitted to the prestigious Paris Institute for Political Science (Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris or Sciences Po). During his studies he wrote his first novel, co-founded a literary webzine and was an intern for the publishing house Flammarion, which has published all his novels so far.

Florian Zeller's first novel Artificial Snow was published to moderate acclaim when the author was twenty-two years old. Shortly thereafter, he was asked to teach at his Alma Mater. He taught literature at Sciences-Po for a few years. His second novel, "Lovers or Something Like it" was well received but it was his third novel, Fascination of Evil (the 2004 Prix Interallié winner) which made him a household name in France. The book, which explores the relationship of the West with Islam, caused some controversy; it was also regarded by some critics to be heavily influenced and/or inspired by Michel Houellebecq's novel, Platform, and the trial that was brought against Houellebecq following the book's publication. Julien Parme, a first-person tale of an adolescent's fugue fugue through Paris, was a departure from his earlier, more overtly sexual and intellectual, novels; it received a mitigated press, coupled with good sales.

Florian Zeller is also fast becoming one of France's most well-known contemporary playwrights. He was allegedly persuaded to write his first play by French literary giant Françoise Sagan, to whom he has been compared. His first play, L'Autre, (translation: 'The Other') has had several runs. His third play, Si tu mourrais (translation: 'If you died' or 'If you were to die'), was nominated for a Globe de Cristal' in France.

Zeller writes occasional pieces for various French publications, including Paris Match and French Vogue. He is also a book reviewer for 'Vol de Nuit', a late-night show dedicated to literature that airs on the French channel TF1.

[edit] Private Life

Florian Zeller lives in Paris with ex-model, actress and sculptor Marine Delterme, who played one of the main roles in the Parisian production of his play 'Le Manège', and Delterme's son from a previous relationship.

[edit] Bibliography

Novels (and UK/US translations)

  • Neiges artificielles, Flammarion, 2002 - Artificial Snow, Pushkin Press (to be published in 2008)
  • Les Amants du n’importe quoi, Flammarion, 2003 - or Something Like it, Pushkin (Modern) Books
  • La Fascination du pire, Flammarion, 2004 (Prix Interallié) - of Evil, Pushkin Press.
  • Julien Parme, Flammarion, 2006 - Parme, Other Press.

Plays

[edit] References

  • Vol de Nuit presentation [1]
  • Flammarion (in French) [2]
  • Flammarion foreign rights ( description of novels in English, and rights sold - but does seem out of date; ex. no mention of Julien Parme US rights having been sold) [3]
  • New Statesman [4] and [5]
  • The Independent [6]
  • Other Press [7]
  • Fondation Jean-Luc Lagardère[8]
Persondata
NAME Zeller, Florian
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION novelist, playwright
DATE OF BIRTH June 28, 1979
PLACE OF BIRTH Paris, France
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
Languages