Philippe Besson

In 1999, Besson, a law graduate, was inspired to write his first novel, En l'absence des hommes while reading of accounts of ex-servicemen during the First World War.[2] The novel, with its daring inclusion of Marcel Proust as a central character, won the Prix Emmanuel Roblès. Besson's second novel, Son Frère was shortlisted for the Prix Femina, and adapted for cinema by Patrice Chéreau in 2003.[3] The film was well received and won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.[4]

• En l'absence des hommes, Éditions Julliard, 2001, ISBN 9782260015642
  • In the Absence of Men, Heinemann 2003, translated by Frank Wynne, Carroll & Graf, 2003, ISBN 978-0-7867-1161-1
• Son frère, Julliard, 2001, ISBN 978-2-260-01586-4
  • His Brother translated by Frank Wynne, Heinemann, 2004, ISBN 978-0-434-01211-4
• L'arrière saison, Julliard, 2002, ISBN 978-2-260-01610-6 (inspired by Edward Hopper's painting Nighthawks)
• Un garçon d'Italie, Julliard, 2003, ISBN 978-2-260-01642-7 (which was shortlisted for both the Prix Goncourt and the Prix Médicis.)
• Les Jours fragiles, Julliard, 2004, ISBN 978-2-260-01641-0 (focussing on the last days of Rimbaud, it has been optioned by François Dupeyron for the cinema.)
• Un instant d'abandon: roman, Julliard, 2005, ISBN 978-2-260-01681-6
• Se résoudre aux adieux: roman, Julliard, 2007, ISBN 978-2-260-01726-4
  • The Accidental Man
• Arrête avec tes mensonges, Éditions Julliard, 2017, ISBN 9782260029885
  • Lie with Me translated by Molly Ringwald, Scribner, 2019, ISBN 9781501197871
• Un Personnage de Roman - Macron par Besson, French and European Publications Inc, 2017, ISBN 978-1547902231

• "Review: In the Absence of Men by Philippe Besson", Speak its name