Her latest novel, published in May 2022, is titled Un si bel horizon and tells the story of a united Corsican family, and the passing of the baton between two generations in the context of a famous seaside hotel. The novelist Françoise Bourdin, one of the most read in France with nearly fifty books written and 15 million books sold, died Sunday at the age of 70, the publishing group Editis announced on Monday.
“I send my deepest condolences to the family of Francoise Bourdin, to her two daughters, Fabienne and Frédérique, to her grandchildren, I am thinking of all the teams, from Belfond, Plon and Pocket, who have worked with her for so many years, as well as to her millions of readers faithful»said the group’s general manager, Michèle Benbunan.
Fourth French author in number of books sold – behind Guillaume Musso, Marc Levy and Katherine Pancol -, Françoise Bourdin has however rarely been praised by critics. She said that at the start of her career she regretted this indifference from the media and specialized broadcasts, or even from the juries of the literary prizes.
Family sagas
At the heart of his literary work? The family sagas. She publishes her first novel, wet suns, in 1972 when she was not yet of age. A second novel Waves of yellow grassappeared the following year and was adapted for television by Josée Dayan.
Up at dawn, the novelist, installed in a large Norman farmhouse in the Seine valley, not far from Giverny, stood immutably in front of her computer every morning to write. “If the inspiration doesn’t come, I’ll go for a walk in the forest with my dogs,” she said while her two four-legged companions, a Border Collie and a Beauceron, came to beg for a cuddle. More often than not, the inspiration was there.”