Michel Bussi’s Myriad Lives and Triumphs: A Nonchalance Compared to Orelsan!

“3 lives per week” is the title of Michel Bussi’s latest thriller, published on March 2. The writer is one of the most widely read French authors. An exceptional career, an atypical journey: the Norman tells us about his 20 years of literary success.

As far back as he can remember, Michel Bussi has always wanted to live adventures and tell stories. At 6 years old, the child from Eure born in 1965, was already writing to invent the next episode of what he had just watched on television. Lulled by the green library, the white and gold collection of Tales and legends or even Bob Morane then Jules Verne, he is already developing his creative imagination.
He then became a geography teacher rather than French, which seemed too intimate to him; him, who doesn’t like to talk too much about himself. At 28, he became a lecturer at the University of Rouen and tried to publish his first book on the Second World War, which was unanimously refused by publishers. He will have to wait another 10 years with “Code Lupin”, a fiction inspired by the universe of Maurice Leblanc to finally experience success. It’s the era of the Da Vinci Code and mystery novels are all the rage. The book will even be reissued 9 times! Which is a good start…

It is in 2013 that the first big success will happen. There followed the take-off of a rich career of 17 novels that would punctuate the career of one of the most popular French authors. “A plane without it”, published in pocket, will mark a before and after for Michel Bussi. “Every week I was selling more books than in my entire previous career.” remembers the writer. “We have the impression of crossing the mirror, we say to ourselves it is not possible, we find ourselves in a classification between Amélie Nothomb and Anna Gavalda!“.

Michel Bussi admits that success fell on him at the right age.

I’m less bothered than Orelsan!

“At 40, I had accumulated stories for 30 years, I still had to write them… I could start a new life without changing anything in my daily life.”

After directing a social science laboratory, Michel Bussi is still a professor on availability at the University of Rouen. But for 10 years books and successes have been linked together according to a score and a song dear to Michel Bussi. Each of his thrillers bears a title homage to the French song he loves. The latest “3 lives a week”, a nod to Indochina, “Dying on the Seine” Dalida, “Mom is wrong” Mylène Farmer or even “Time is a murderer” Renaud….. It has become a bit a trademark with these popular titles that readers are quick to remember.

Michel Bussi likes “mix feel good and thriller“. His style mixes the police investigation and the romantic story. Thus, his latest novel begins with the discovery of a dead man in his car. He then integrates three passionate love stories. The mysterious book, with drawers and twists and turns, is located between the Ardennes and the Czech Republic. Michel Bussi admits having worked there for a year even though he had been carrying this story for 15 years. One body, three identities: is it the same man? Three hidden lives, so many secrets, manipulations… Of course, you have to read the novel until the last page to finally know the truth.

I already had almost everything in mind

24 novels, translated in 37 countries, 15 comics published or in progress, 3 novels adapted for television, numerous youth publications… The Bussi saga does not seem to have to stop. The novelist has a new cap, since he participates in the writing of television series. And there again the success is there. Thus, “L’île prisonnière”, broadcast on France 2 recently, brought together more than 5 million viewers!

During the year 2023, another novel by Michel Bussi “Rien ne t’efface” will also be adapted. When asked what his favorite book is, the author answers in a very Norman way “these are all my favorites, I let the reader choose theirs!“.

Other stories of great people to discover in our show every morning at 10 a.m. moderated by Anne Boétie.