Frédéric Beigbeder
Frédéric Beigbeder (French: [fʁedeʁik bɛɡbeˈde]; born 21 September 1965 at Neuilly-Sur-Seine) is a French writer and literary critic. He won the Prix Interallié in 2003 for his novel Windows on the World and the Prix Renaudot in 2009 for his book Un roman français. He is also the creator of the Flore and Sade Awards.
Biography
Beigbeder was born into a privileged family in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine. His mother, Christine de Chasteigner, is a translator of mawkish novels (Barbara Cartland et al.); his brother is Charles Beigbeder, a businessman. He studied at the Lycée Montaigne and Louis-le-Grand, and later at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris. Upon graduation at the age of 24, he began work as a copywriter in Young & Rubicam[1], then as an author, broadcaster, publisher, and dilettante.
In 1994, Beigbeder founded the "Prix de Flore", which takes its name from the famous and plush Café de Flore in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The prize is awarded annually to a promising young French author. Vincent Ravalec, Jacques A. Bertrand, Michel Houellebecq are among those who have won the prize. In 2004, the tenth anniversary of the prize, it was awarded to the only American to ever receive it, Bruce Benderson. Three of Beigbeder's novels, 99 Francs, "L’amour dure trois ans" and Windows on the World, are being adapted for the cinema. The film of Windows on the World will be directed by the French/English director Max Pugh.
In 2002, he presented the TV talk show "Hypershow" on French channel Canal +, co-presented with Jonathan Lambert, Sabine Crossen and Henda. That year he also advised French Communist Party candidate Robert Hue in the presidential election.
In 2005, he was, with others authors as Alain Decaux, Richard Millet and Jean-Pierre Thiollet, one of the Beirut Book Fair's guests in the Beirut International Exhibition & Leisure Center, commonly (BIEL).
He worked for a few years as an editor for Flammarion. He left Flammarion in 2006.
His novel Un roman français was awarded the Prix Renaudot in November 2009.[2]
He writes columns in Le Figaro Magazine since 2010.
Private life
Beigbeder has admitted that many of his novels are broadly autobiographical, and that the character of Octave in both 99 francs and Au secours, pardon is in many ways his avatar. On the other hand he contends that "I am more normal in real life than in my books" and that he is not like the characters in his books because he is too normal.
He is divorced and has a daughter, Chloé.
In 2008, he was arrested for snorting cocaine from the hood of a car in Paris in the 8th Arrondissement. He was also in possession of 2.6 grams of cocaine.[3]
Beigbeder is working with Volkswagen to shape an urban car model.
He was dating a 18 years old Russian girl called Apollinariya. He described her as "the most beautiful thing he had ever seen"
Cinema
He is the co-author with Jean-Marie Périer of L'Attrape-Salinger, a documentary about J. D. Salinger. He plays himself in Les ruses de Frédéric (2007), an average film by Louis Skorecki and also appears in Les infortunes de la beauté by John Lvoff (which he co-wrote), Comme t'y es belle ! by Lisa Azuelos, Tu vas rire, mais je te quitte by Philippe Harel and La personne aux deux personnes by Nicolas and Bruno. He also appeared in the pornographic film La fille du batelier, by Patrice Cabanel.
He makes several appearances in 99 Francs, the film adaptation of his novel.
Bibliography
Novels
- 1997: "Vacances dans le Coma" (translated into English as Holiday in a Coma by Frank Wynne)
- 1997: "L’amour dure trois ans" (translated into English as Love Lasts Three Years by Frank Wynne)
- 2000: 99 Francs (Retitled 14,99 euro after the introduction of the euro), Grasset (translated into English as £9.99 by Adriana Hunter)
- 2003: Windows on the World, Grasset (translated under the same title by Frank Wynne)
- 2005: L'égoïste romantique (The Romantic Egoist), Grasset
- 2007: Au secours pardon, Grasset
- 2009: Un roman français, Grasset (translated into English as A French Novel by Frank Wynne)
Essay
- 2001: Dernier inventaire avant liquidation, Grasset
- 2011: Premier bilan après l'apocalypse, Grasset
Discussions
- 2004: Je crois Moi non plus : Dialogue entre un évêque et un mécréant Calmann Levis
Comic books
- 2002: Rester Normal Dargaud
- 2004: Rester Normal à Saint-Tropez Dargaud
Films
- 2007: 99 Francs by director Jan Kounen
- 2012: "L'amour dure trois ans" by director Frederic Beigbeder
References
External links
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