Departures of note

Didier Decoin was a French novelist and screenwriter born on March 13, 1945, in Boulogne-Billancourt. The son of filmmaker Henri Decoin, he began his career as a journalist before establishing himself as a prominent literary figure. He published his first novel at age 20 and went on to write more than twenty books throughout his career.

In 1977, Decoin received France's most prestigious literary award, the Prix Goncourt, for his novel John l'Enfer. He was elected to the Académie Goncourt in 1995, serving as its secretary general before becoming its president from 2020 to 2024. His literary work spanned novels, essays, and children's books, with notable titles including La Femme de chambre du Titanic, which was adapted into a 1997 film.

Decoin also had a distinguished career as a screenwriter for both cinema and television. He wrote scripts for directors including Marcel Carné, Henri Verneuil, and Robert Enrico, and received the 7 d'Or award for best screenplay for the television miniseries Le Comte de Monte-Cristo in 1999. He died at the age of 81 in August 2026.