Philippe Djian

Philippe Djian (born 3 June 1949) is a popular French author of Armenian descent. He won the 2012 Prix Interallié for the novel "Oh..." (Elle for the English translation).

Djian graduated from the ESJ Paris. After a period of wandering and odd jobs, he published a volume of short stories, 50 contre 1 (1981), and then the novels Bleu comme l'enfer (1982) and Zone érogène (1984) before gaining fame with his subsequent novels 37°2 le matin (1985), Maudit Manège (1986), Echine (1988), Crocodiles (short stories) (1989), Lent dehors (1991), Sotos (1993), and Assassins (1994).

Five of his novels have been adapted into films: 37°2 le matin (1986; English title Betty Blue) which was filmed by Jean-Jacques Beineix, Bleu comme l'enfer (1986; English title Blue Hell) directed by Yves Boisset; Impardonnables (2011; English title Unforgivable) directed by André Téchiné; Love Is the Perfect Crime (2013; original title L'Amour est un crime parfait) directed by Arnaud Larrieu and Jean-Marie Larrieu; and Oh... (as Elle (2016) directed by Paul Verhoeven). He also co-wrote the screenplay of Ne fais pas ça (2004) with Luc Bondy.