Bernard Werber

About

About him

After studying Law and Criminology in Toulouse, Bernard Werber was admitted at the École supérieure de journalisme (High school of journalism) in Paris. He began his career at a Cambrai newspaper, getting small-time assignments (weather, weddings, ceremonies and other trivial events) before winning the News foundation prize for best young reporter, which allowed him to finance his first major report. His subject matter: the formidable driver ants (Dorylus) from the Ivory Coast. After his return he worked as a freelance journalist (L’Événement, Le Point, VSD…), and then joined the Nouvel Observateur, where he was to spend seven years as a science journalist. His enquiry into Dorylus ants gave him the inspiration for his first novel, Empire of the Ants, which was released in 1991 and met with immediate success in France and other parts of the world, notably Korea and Russia. A success that was to grow steadily with the publication of each book (about twenty altogether, including novels, short stories, plays…). Bernard Werber’s books are translated into about thirty different languages. His third novel, Third Humanity, was published in October 2012 by Albin Michel.

 

Autobiography for Quais du Polar

“Officially, I was born on Earth, in France, in 1961. Officially I am still alive. Officially, my cover is that of a writer, and I’m alleged to  ‘be making a living’ under that cover.  Officially I look like you (2 arms, 2 legs, only one set of brains) and I seem (what is fashionable referred to as) ‘normal’. But I fear the truth might be quite different…”

 

Crime favourites

Film: Memento, directed by Christopher Nolan

Book: Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes (which is a crime story as far as I’m concerned!)

Author: Stephen King

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