Amélie Nothomb
AUTHOR

Amélie Nothomb

Discover Amélie Nothomb - Biography

Born in Japan on 13 August 1967, Amélie Nothomb is a Belgian author. A regular on the bestseller lists, she is best known for her book Stupeur et tremblements. Her writing is deeply influenced by Japanese culture, to which the novelist is very attached. Recognised with numerous awards, her many novels make her one of the most celebrated writers of the French literary season.
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Hygiène de l’assassin: first novel, first success

Back in Belgium in 1984, after spending part of her childhood in Japan, Amélie Nothomb, a student of Romance philology, began writing. Despite her passion for writing, she would never reveal her earliest manuscripts to the public.

In 1992, the young author published her first novel, Hygiène de l’assassin, which went on to enjoy widespread success. The enthusiasm surrounding it was such that director François Ruggieri decided to adapt it for the big screen. The film was released in cinemas in February 1999.

Le Sabotage amoureux, her second novel published in 1993, is devoted to the writer’s childhood. Blending fiction and autobiography, her writing style, inspired by personal experiences, once again captivated her readers.
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Amélie Nothomb: iconic works

The publication in 1999 of Stupeur et tremblements, which sold nearly 400,000 copies, marked a definitive turning point in her career as a novelist. This autobiographical book, elevated to bestseller status, established her as a literary phenomenon. The novel was once again adapted for the cinema in 2003. The film received a very favourable reception from audiences, reaching more than 240,000 admissions in under two weeks.

Amélie Nothomb’s subsequent novels enjoyed the same success with her loyal readers. Métaphysique des tubes, published in 2000, is considered her finest autobiographical work. It once again focuses on the early years of her life, as does Biographie de la faim, published in 2004, a narrative that is both sincere and restrained.

Her career has been consistently punctuated by successes, with the publication of Cosmétique de l’ennemi in 2001, Acide sulfurique in 2005, and Ni d’Ève ni d’Adam in 2007, which was adapted for the big screen in 2014 as Tokyo Fiancée.

Although the prolific author publishes a book every year, her inspiration remains undiminished. She captivated audiences once again in 2019 with her novel Soif. It is in a more fictional genre that we rediscover her inimitable pen.
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A widely acclaimed novelist

Amélie Nothomb has received a wealth of literary prizes for her work. As early as 1993, just one year after the release of her first novel, Hygiène de l’assassin, she was awarded the Prix René-Fallet and the Prix Alain Fournier. That same year, she was doubly honoured once more, receiving the Prix littéraire de la vocation and the Prix Jacques Chardonne for her book Le Sabotage amoureux. In 1995, it was the Prix du Jury Jean-Giono that recognised her novel Les Catilinaires.

She was awarded the Grand Prix du roman de l’Académie française in 1999 for her bestseller Stupeur et tremblements. In 2007, she received the Prix de Flore for Ni d’Ève ni d’Adam, followed closely by the Grand Prix Jean-Giono in 2008 for her novel Le Fait du prince.

The distinctive writer was also promoted to Commander of the Order of the Crown in 2008, and became a member of the Académie royale de langue et de littérature françaises de Belgique in 2015.
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