Michel del Castillo

Interned in the concentration camp Rieucros in Mende with his mother during the Second World War, he developed a sense of belonging to this town, which has honored him by naming a school after him.

He first studied politics and psychology, then turned to literature. Influenced by Miguel de Unamuno and Fyodor Dostoevsky, his books received many literary prizes, namely Prix Chateaubriand for Le Silence des Pierres (1975); Renaudot for La nuit du Décret (1981); Prix Maurice Genevoix for Rue des Archives (1994); Prix de l’Écrit Intime for Mon frère l’Idiot (1995); and Prix Femina essai for Colette, une Certaine France (2001).

In 1997 he became a member of the Académie royale de langue et de littérature françaises de Belgique, succeeding to Georges Duby.

Aside from travelling, he is very keen on classical music, and considered at some point making a career as a pianist.

Source: Article "Michel del Castillo" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.