French writer and screenwriter Didier Decoin, winner of the 1977 Goncourt prize and former president of the Académie Goncourt, died on Wednesday aged 81.
The literary institution announced his death in a statement praising his high regard for literature and his lifelong commitment to sharing books with audiences around the world.
The Académie Goncourt stated that Decoin was a novelist who held a high view of language and literature, as demonstrated throughout his body of work. The academy noted that he acted as an ambassador for French literature in all its diversity, meeting readers across France and internationally.
Goncourt prize and novelistic work
Decoin was born into a cinematic family as the son of film director Henri Decoin. He began his professional career working as a journalist for French publications including France Soir and Le Figaro before dedicating himself fully to literature.
Over the course of his career, Decoin published around 20 novels. His novel The Chambermaid on the Titanic was adapted for the screen by Spanish film director Bigas Luna.
He achieved his greatest literary recognition in 1977 when he won the Prix Goncourt, France's most prestigious literary award, for his novel John l'Enfer. The book tells the story of a Cheyenne Indian who washes windows on New York skyscrapers and observes signs of decline in a city on the verge of collapse.
Screenwriting and cinematic success
Alongside his work as a novelist, Decoin built an extensive career as a screenwriter for television and cinema. He participated in numerous screen adaptations and original television dramas throughout his career.
In cinema, he collaborated with notable film directors including Marcel Carné, Robert Enrico and Henri Verneuil. In 1980, he received the special jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival for the screenplay of Hors la vie, directed by Maroun Bagdadi.
Leadership in cultural institutions
Decoin also held prominent leadership roles across major French cultural organizations. He served two terms as president of the Société des gens de lettres de France, an association representing authors and literary rights.
He joined the Académie Goncourt in 1995 and served as president of the institution from 2020 until 2024. During his tenure, colleagues remembered him as a man of great kindness who was generous and attentive to others, leaving a lasting impression through his noble humanity.
Throughout his final years, Decoin remained actively involved in the French cultural sphere as a defender of literature and authors. His son, Julien Decoin, followed his father into the literary profession and is also an established writer.
