Here’s a quick look at the most popular fiction writers in France at the moment. They were the best-selling authors in 2011 and it looks like they’re likely to continue at the top of the ranks.
1. Guillaume Musso: this dishy 37-year-old sold 1,567,500 books in 2011, representing 18 million euros of income. Excuse me while I burst into tears – I think I earned about 3 euros in royalties!! His latest French book is L’Appel de l’Ange. The most recent translated book into English is The Girl on Paper. It has to be said that his ebooks are quite pricy.
Website: http://www.guillaumemusso.com/
2. Marc Levy: also dishy, he’s been pushed into second place in 2011 for a change with sales of 1,509,000. Again, at €9.99 his ebooks are way overpriced. French publishers still don’t get ebooks.
Latest book: L’étrange voyage de Monsieur Daldry in French, in English The Children of Freedom
Website: http://www.toslog.com/marclevy/accueil
3. Katherine Pancol: her sales this year of 1,213,000 make her the highest woman in the rankings. Her ebooks are around €17.99, beggars belief!
Latest book: Les Ecureuils de Central Park sont tristes le lundi in French, The Squirrels in Central Park are Sad on Mondays.
Website: http://www.katherine-pancol.com/
4. David Foenkinos: he sold 967,000 books, more than 700,000 of which were La Délicatesse, now also a film.
Latest book: La Délicatesse in French, Delicacy in English
Facebook page: http://fr-fr.facebook.com/david.foenkinos
5. Fred Vargas: archaeologist turned ‘crime queen of France’, she sold 790,500 copies of her books in 2011. Most of her books are about her popular creation Commissaire Adamsberg.
Latest book: L’armée furieuse in French, An Uncertain Place in English
Website: can’t find one for her. Tut tut.