About
About him
Daniel Picouly comes from a working-class background: he grew up in the Paris banlieue with twelve siblings. After studying accountancy, management and law, he started teaching and qualified as a teacher in 1988. He then took a post as an accountancy teacher for BTS students (a two-year course) in the 13th arrondissement in Paris. He established himself as a writer with Le Champ de personne (prix des lectrices de Elle, 1996) and L’Enfant léopard, which won the Prix Renaudot in 1999. He hosted a multicultural show called Café Picouly, on France 5, a television channel. Nec and Les Larmes du chef were published by Série Noire in 1992 and 1994 respectively. He also writes for the young, notably the Lulu Vroumette series (Magnard), which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Recently, his autobiographical book La Faute d’orthographe est ma langue maternelle was published by Albin Michel, and the comic book Nos géographies de France by Hoebeke.
Self-portrait for Quais du Polar
Height: 1.95m. Healthy weight: 83 kg. Finishing rank: 11 out of 13. Background: working class. Antecedent: teacher. Type: mixed-race renegade who switched from La Noire to La Blanche (Gallimard’s collections). Hunting ground: from kindergarten to retirement home. Various medals, plus natural distinction. Recent fulfilling experience of the stage. Might end up on the boards… or, more likely, between them!
Crime favourites
Film: Asphalt Jungle, directed by John Huston (1950)
Book: Crime and Punishment, from the revered master Fiodor DostoÏevski (1821-1881)
Author: Chester Himes (1909-1984)