The author participated yesterday in the first day of the festival Reading in the vineyards, which continues today at the castle of Couffoulens. The one who was notably distinguished for “Their children after them” tells us about his relationship to writing and the rigor it requires.
What do you want to share with your readers during such meetings?
Already, it’s a bit of a reward, after the loneliness that the Covid has imposed on culture. I try to convey to people things that I wanted to convey in my writings, it’s a work of conviction… but I think that part of the novels is also built by reading and not just by writing. . Feedback from readers allows me to capture this.
How do you choose the subjects of your books?
These are themes that torment me, of the order of the intimate or of the relationship at the time… The midlife crisis, the world of work, the 2017 presidential election… There are plenty of things that I want to grab me. And then of course, the characters that I stage play a central role.
Your first two books have received several awards, including the prestigious Goncourt for “Their children after them”. What do these distinctions represent in your eyes?
First of all forms of recognition, because it is very distressing to write. What is the real quality of his work? The Goncourt prize is different again because it gives you immense legitimacy, opens doors for you and protects you from a lot of ups and downs… especially financial ones. Writing my first two novels was not easy at this level!
When did you consider yourself a full-fledged writer?
The first time an editor who didn’t know me called me and said: “Reading your manuscript, you immediately feel that there is a writer behind it”. Coming from a publisher, this word was for me truly performative, it produced a concrete effect. But before they told me that, I had to read and write a lot: it’s an apprenticeship that’s all the longer and more difficult because it can’t be taught.
Do you feel less pressure now that you’ve been recognized as a bestselling author?
On the contrary ! Not only do I know that people are waiting for me, but also that now I’m writing for maybe 100,000 people instead of 5,000! However, I’ve always wanted to tell stories that have a power of seduction, that take the reader on board. But the more the number of interested people increases, the more we expose ourselves to bad interpretations, to the risk of misunderstanding. I always try to be careful, but yes, it worries me.
What advice would you give to someone starting out in writing?
You must read. Wanting to write without reading oneself cannot work. Then you have to find availability, time to write, and you have to discipline yourself to tackle it every day. Finally, you have to look for what you are capable of writing: you are not necessarily able to write the novels you like to read. Me, it took me 25 years to find! And also, don’t hesitate to send your work by post: publishers who read the manuscripts they receive exist more than you think!
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