‘From Page to Film’: stories you’ll long to make into movies...
With the encouragement of the SCELF, BIEF has published this collective catalogue for foreign producers who are keen to exploit France’s editorial production and would like to discover its diversity. Here is a selection of roughly fi fty books whose universe, characters or historical settings provide, in the opinion of the thirty French publishers who chose them, ideal material for cinematic treatment. Each entry is an invitation to create an adaptation for the screen. A contact is given for each book presented: in just a few pages, you’ll fi nd the names of thirty privileged interlocutors to create or complete your address book. We hope this catalogue will be the beginning of many new projects. Enjoy!
BIEF [email protected] Tel.: +331 44 41 13 16 115, boulevard St-Germain 75006 Paris www.bief.org ‘I believe that if I love a book, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t make a good fi lm. Similarly, it’s also possible to make a great movie out of a terrible book. But I’m convinced that it’s the book that should form the basis for the fi lm, even if it goes astray. In general, that’s a much better basis than an original fi fteen page scenario.’ Michel Audiard, 1983
In France, publishers tend to negotiate the audiovisual rights on behalf of the authors they represent. For authors this widespread practice has the advantage of a single body that negotiates the subsidiary rights for their works (adaptations for radio, theatre, etc) as well as experienced advice on the scope of rights, guarantees associated with adapted works, the duration of the rights sold and payment.
Created in 1960, the French Language Publishers Association (SCELF) brings together the publishing companies who manage their author’s subsidiary rights.
Two years ago, the SCELF started to catalog the audiovisual use (fi lm or television) of books published in France for a database called’Source d’Images’. This database already contains more than a thousand books and can be consulted on the SCELF website on www.scelf.fr or requested by e-mail from: [email protected]
SCELF organizes also the AUDIOVISUAL RIGHTS MARKET during the Paris Book Fair. For further information, contact Pascale Kramer by email on: pascale. [email protected].
SCELF [email protected] Tel.: +331 53 34 97 10 15, rue de Buci 75006 Paris www.scelf.fr
00 02 04 Contents A la recherche d’Alice ...... 4
A part ça, les hommes vont bien ...... 5 Juste avant l’hiver ...... 33
Alain Delon est une star au Japon ...... 6 Lune captive dans un oeil mort ...... 34
Aqua TM ...... 7 Magda et A. Trocmé. Figures de résistances .... 35
Biribi, dans l’enfer des bagnes coloniaux ...... 8 Le mal par le mal ...... 36
Le bonheur sur ordonnance ...... 9 Manhattan Freud ...... 37
Boomerang ...... 10 Le manuscrit de Saint-Sépulcre ...... 38
Charlotte, le soleil noir de la mélancolie ...... 11 Les marches de la mort. 1944-1945 ...... 39
Le clairvoyage ...... 12 Monster ...... 40
Délit de fuite ...... 13 Le paradoxe de Vasalis ...... 41
Dernière conversation sur le Titanic ...... 14 Peut-être une histoire d’amour ...... 42
La dernière marche de l’empire ...... 15 Pietro Querini. Les naufragés de Röst ...... 43
Des hommes à la peine ...... 16 Prenez soin du chien ...... 44
Disparaître ...... 17 Les promeneuses au bord du chemin ...... 45
L’enfant des cimetières ...... 18 Régime mortel ...... 46
Evana 4 ...... 19 Saloon ...... 47
L’éxcuse ...... 20 Sans regrets ...... 48
Le fantôme de la Tour Eiffel ...... 21 Le secret de Lampa ...... 49
Le feu de Dieu ...... 22 Sonate de l’assassin ...... 50
La fugue ...... 23 Le testament syriaque ...... 51
Garden of Love ...... 25 Trait pour traits ...... 52
Histoire d’amour ...... 26 Trois hommes seuls ...... 53
L’instinct de la tueuse ...... 27 Un après-midi avec Rock Hudson ...... 54
Iouri ...... 28 Un Dieu un animal...... 55
J’étais derrière toi ...... 29 Un parfait salaud ...... 56
Je suis venu, j’ai vu, je n’y crois plus ...... 30 La vie d’un homme inconnu ...... 57
Je m’en vais ...... 31 Le violon d’Hitler ...... 58
Journal intime d’un marchand de canons...... 32 Zen city ...... 59
01 03 05 Looking For Alice
An ordinary girl lost in a unique police investigation where love affairs and family secrets emerge.
Whatever made Alice Conque leave the beautiful Catherine Hersh bound hand and foot in her bathtub? Jealousy, madness or a real case of persecution? When D. I. Picasso questions her, Alice talks of anonymous letters, secret appointments, people and jewellery who turn up and go mysteriously missing. More involved than he wants to admit, Picasso decides to take a closer look at this zany blond, a guide whose passion is antique sculpture. He follows her to her mother’s funeral in a wintry village rustling with family secrets. There, beneath Alice’s dream life, he A la recherche d’Alice discovers the demons of a tormented childhood, they even experience a few moments of absolute happiness together. The return of Alice’s father, Kantor, provides the key to the enigma: in his paranoid delirium, he kidnaps his two daughters. Once saved, they go back to their former lives, though not exactly as before… Film References: Alice (Woody Allen) Nurse Betty Why this story? After Les Aquariums lumineux, Sophie Bassignac is back with more sparkle and suspense. Her talent for creating humour, Author: Sophie Bassignac irony and the extraordinary in everyday situations is undiminished. Genre: Fiction (Humour, Crime, Suspense, Love) Epoch: Present day Setting: Paris and a provincial village Timespan: 2-3 months
DENOËl Claire Anouchian Tel.: +330 144 39 73 86 Tel.: +330 144 39 73 90 [email protected]
02 04 06 Apart from that, humanity’s doing fi ne
36, single, incapable of keeping a girlfriend, Mat’s love life is hardly a bowl of roses. But Mat doesn’t lose heart, the right woman is out there somewhere, waiting for him!
One day, it was March 8, Mathieu Clément, Mat to his friends, still 35 for a few days, decides to write a blog, but in a traditional paper notebook. Mathieu works in a publishing house which produces personal development books with zany titles and even zanier contents. His emotional life is a waste ground. His father has just given him a manuscript that is totally unpublishable, and Mat wonders how he’s going to tell him. At 33, his best friend is still trying to become an actress and until he A part ça , introduces them, his two pals didn’t even know each other. les hommes vont bien Film References: Bridget Jones changes gender Why this story? Laugh at yourself, laugh at others, often the’victims’ of our fun-poking are women. For once, men take the brunt. But a good laugh still does you good…
Author: Alain Teulié Genre: Novel Epoch: Present day Setting: Paris Timespan: 2 months
PLON Jean-Marie Carpentier Tel.: +331 44 41 35 00 Tel.: +331 44 41 35 02 [email protected]
03 05 07 Alain Delon’s a Star in Japan
A young Japanese man with blue eyes kidnaps Alain Delon, convinced that the actor is his father. He and his girlfriend, benevolent kidnappers, hold him prisoner in a village of the Creuse, until the neighbours inform the police.
When Alain Delon leaves home that morning for a ride around Paris on his bike, how could he imagine that two Japanese students, Kaizuo and Tetsuko, are about to kidnap him and take him to a little Village in Creuse? Kaizuo soon tells Alain Delon the reason for the kidnapping: his mother had an affair with the actor during the Tokyo fi lm festival, and Kaizuo wants to do a paternity test. But he’s forgotten his Japanese Alain Delon father, a tycoon, who knows about the kidnapping and arrives in France est une star au Japon to help his son and daughter-in-law fi nd a way out of this mess. But in the meantime, the village idiot has seen Delon from his window and found the actor’s ID card. He gives it to a neighbour, who immediately informs the gendarmes. They turn up with ample reinforcements to free the famous star. The whole story is in fact a screenplay, which Alain Delon has just read. Later that morning, he takes his bike and goes for a ride... Film References: JCVD by Mabrouk El Mechri, Being John Malkovich Author: Benjamin Breton by Spike Jonze, Misery by Rob Reiner, Suicide Kings by Peter O’Fallon Genre: Novel/humour Why this story? A zany adventure experienced by an actor playing the Epoch: Present day role of himself. A wink at his own career, and lots of humour. Setting: France, Creuse Timespan: A few days
HACHETTE LITTÉRATURES Virginie Rouxel Tel.: +331 49 54 37 18 [email protected] www.hachette-livre.fr
04 06 08 Aqua TM
Natural catastrophes and attacks that could take place at any moment, in spite of certain characters’ altruism and will to survive.
‘In 2030, fresh water has taken over from oil as the vital commodity nations fi ght over, a situation brought on by drought and global warming … So, when a little drought-stricken African country, with the help of a pirated satellite picture, fi nds an underground water layer on its territory, it spells guaranteed survival! Guaranteed? Not so sure: the owners of the satellite, a big American consortium, claim possession and will stop at nothing to get their hands on it. Responsible for transporting the drilling equipment, Laurie and Rudy get caught up in an adventure with undreamt of consequences. In the Aqua TM desperate struggle that ensues, there are no holds barred on the political and military level, with a little witchcraft thrown in when an apocalyptic sect gets involved. They see the cloned son of the American C. E. O. as the incarnation of a new Messiah... or the Antichrist? Jean-Marc Ligny’s fantasy thriller condemns the destructive folly of our liberal world.’ Film References:’The Day After’ Author: Jean-Marc Ligny Why this story? A’hot’ subject in today’s world, convincing, likeable characters, suspense, love, scenes ideal for fi lm adaptation: natural Genre: Futuristic, Ecological catastrophes in Holland and the USA, journey through the wilderness. thriller Epoch: 2030 Setting: Holland, France, United States, Burkina-Faso Timespan: 1 year
L’ATALANTE Annette Werther-Medou Tel.: +332 40 89 14 41 [email protected] www.l-atalante.com
05 07 09 Biribi, in the Hell of a Colonial Prison
Not so long ago, the very mention of Biribi struck terror into hearts because people knew anyone could be sent there. Biribi was a life sentence, a life of hell, of cruelty and torture. Those who endured it would ulitmately be served up as canon fodder for the French army.
For the fi rst time, this book traces the tragic history of these disciplinary companies, Battaillons d’Afrique, and Ateliers de travaux publics euphemistically referred to as’special corps’. It describes the terrible treatment their members were subjected to, the harassment, the physical abuse that sometimes included torture, infl icted by disgraceful Biribi, dans l’enfer des NCOs, and the exhausting labour under a blazing sun. It reveals the violence of relations among men in what was considered the very dregs, bagnes coloniaux the scum of the army. But it demonstrates as well how the courage of a very few, whether convicts, doctors, militants or journalists like Albert Londres, contributed to the gradual awareness of the daily horror experienced in these disciplinary camps that ultimately seeped into the public conscience. The last’special corps’ were eradicated from the French army at the beginning of the 1970s.
Film References: Papillon’ or’Brubaker’ (conditions of Author: Dominique Kalifa detention);’Furyo’ (exoticism, exile, cruelty, context of war) Genre: Non fi ction Why this story? A shock document, revealing what was hidden from Epoch: 1831-1970 French people for more than a century. The iniquitous laws voted to Setting: North Africa, France prolong and protect a convenient system and so defend our colonies, Timespan: 140 years the hypocrisy of the elite and on the other side, the opprobrium thrust on all those who attempted to denounce these inhuman and barbarian practices (Albert Londres).’Papillon’, by comparison, was’a children’s holiday camp’. It is high time the martyrdom of these creatures who lost their lives there, or laid them down for their country, was known to all.
PERRIN Judith Becqueriaux Tel.: +331 53 63 50 16 [email protected] www.editions-perrin.fr
06 08 10 Happiness on Prescription
Not everyone is so unfortunate as to be condemned to … happiness!
Méline has it all: a loving husband, two adorable children, a fulfi lling job at an ad agency... And yet, whenever things go wrong, she loses it completely and hurls violent insults at whoever happens to be around. She starts to worry about the situation and decides to see a doctor, who tells her she is actually suffering from a strange disease: a type of cancer is attacking her H gene, the Happiness gene. Without the appropriate treatment, this peculiar cancer could be fatal. Only one remedy exists: to be happy... Film References: LOL by Liza Azuelos / A Woman Under Infl uence by John Cassavettes / Ensemble, c’est tout by Claude Berri Le Bonheur Why this story? Family, sentimental and professional intrigues lie at the sur ordonnance heart of modern women’s preoccupations. Méline could be any one of us! The novel is constructed like a philosophical tale with a moral at the end. There’s no miracle cure for those in search of happiness: you build it slowly, day by day. The ideal basis for the scenario of a comedy for all the family.
Author: Barbara Abel Genre: Fiction Epoch: Present day Setting: A big town Timespan: 2 weeks
FLEUVE NOIR Aurélie Laure Tél.: +331 44 16 08 22 [email protected] www.universpoche.com
07 09 11 Boomerang
Family secrets. When his past suddenly resurfaces, Antoine Rey must solve the secret of his childhood: his mother’s death thirty three years before.
For her fortieth birthday, Antoine takes his young sister Mélanie on a week-end trip to Noirmoutier where, as children, they spent all their summer holidays. Suddenly, on the way back, there’s an accident.’My sister wanted to tell me something… then she lost control...’ explains Antoine to the surgeon. Alone in the hospital waiting room, tortured by anxiety, Antoine takes stock of his life: his wife ran off with another man, his teenage kids are out of control, his job as an architect bores him, and Boomerang his tyrannical old father is the bane of his life. How did it come to this? Why this lack of confi dence? And especially, what did his sister want to tell him? As Mélanie recovers, Antoine tries to gain hold over this boomerang, surging from the past, inscribed with the truth about their mother, the mysterious Clarisse who died thirty-fi ve years before. But what brings meaning back into his life is a meeting with a sexy female mortician straddling a Harley Davidson, the sensual and subtle Angèle. Author: Tatiana de Rosnay Film References: Claude Sautet Genre: Novel Why this story? The story of a man whose world goes into a spin, Epoch: Present day and 1973 Boomerang skillfully blends suspense, comedy and emotion. The portrait Setting: Noirmoutier, Paris of a man in love is both amusing and poignant. Timespan: 9 months in pre- sent times + brief fl ash-backs to the 70s
EDITIONS HÉLOÏSE D’ORMESSON Sarah Hirsch Tel.: +331 56 81 30 73 [email protected] www.editions-heloisedormesson.com
08 10 12 Charlotte, the Black Sun of Melancholy
Born in 1840, Charlotte’s life was marked by her unhappy role as both witness and protagonist in the sweeping events of the declining Austro- Hungarian Empire.
Daughter of Belgian monarch Leopold I, granddaughter of Louis-Philippe, Charlotte married Maximilian of Austria at the age of seventeen. The golden promise of this existence turned to tragedy when the royal couple acceded to the Mexican throne. At the end of the war of independence, her husband had been overthrown and executed, leaving Charlotte to the haunting uncertainty of her future as a solitary widow among the crowned heads of Europe. She became the most famous manic-depressive Charlotte, le soleil noir on the continent, no longer a queen but’a case’. Her merciful demise de la mélancolie came in 1927, nine years after that of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Based on unexplored archives and primary sources, including personal correspondence, medical records, and diplomatic reports, Dominique Paoli paints the tragic portrait of a woman who spent half a century teetering at the edge of the abyss. An entirely new and fresh look at the little-known and complex personality of the Empress Charlotte. Film References:’Ludwig’ (Ludwig II of Bavaria was her contemporary and a cousin) ;’Senso’ (atmosphere of a country under Austrian occupation in Author: Dominique Paoli rebellion) Genre: Biography Why this story? Charlotte lived a thousand lives, witnessed 86 years of Epoch: 1840 - 1927 the turbulent history of Europe at the most crucial period. Hers was an Setting: Europe, Mexico exceptional destiny yet, like an idol with feet of clay, she was overcome by her madness which was stronger than her in the end. She resembled the Timespan: 86 years Austro-Hungarian Empire she represented, bedecked with titles, the ghost of an era that was gone forever...
PERRIN Judith Becqueriaux Tel.: +331 53 63 50 16 [email protected] www.editions-perrin.fr
09 11 13 Le Clairvoyage
A little girl who was taught to think rationally has to fi nd her place in the world after the death of her parents, and communicate with the world of fairies.
‘Clara, 12 years old and an only child, notices that she is being followed by a raven. When she understands the message the bird is trying to give her, it is too late: her parents have died in a car accident. Left with an uncle she doesn’t know and her aunt Bébé, a painter holed up in her studio, Clara discovers the ghosts of her ancestors in their attic and meets Suze and Lia, her aunt’s eccentric sisters as well as Gauvain, Lia’s son. And so the Cartesian world Clara was brought up in shatters. On Le Clairvoyage Midsummer night, Bébé is kidnapped by the fairies... Le Clairvoyage, inspired by Alice in Wonderland and the work of elfi cologist Pierre Dubois, is the story of a child exchanged for a changeling, a creature that fairies give parents to replace their kidnapped baby. In the second volume Clara and her companions are thrust into the fairy kingdom, where traps are manifold and time follows an unexpected path.’ Film References:’Narnia’,’Die unendliche Geschichte’ Author: Anne Fakhouri Why this story? In spite of a tragic beginning, there is lots of humour, Genre: Urban fantasy, and empathy for the highly original characters who are all one sandwich children’s short of a picnic.comical situations due to the huge gap between reality Epoch: Present day and the world of the fairies. Setting: A little French town and the Land of the Elves Timespan: 15 days
L’ATALANTE Annette Werther-Medou +332 40 89 14 41 [email protected] www.l-atalante.com
10 12 14 Hit and Run
The title of the book, Un divan pour l’échafaud, recalls the famous fi lm Ascenseur pour l’échaffaud (Lift to the Gallows)
‘Anne Duval has a brilliant career in advertising and gives the impression of leading a successful life. In reality, she is lying to herself and others by inventing a fi ancé and a step-daughter. One December day, it all falls apart. Anne cracks up and drives off anywhere the roads will take her. She ends up in a psychiatric ward in Clermont-Ferrand. When she’s released, she fi nds herself summoned as a witness in a criminal affair. What happened? Who is this man who appears to want to steal her past? Could it be connected to an incident that took place several years ago, when a young doctor from Clermont, accused of murdering his wife, had been cleared Délit de fuite thanks to his mistress’s testimony?’ Film References: Claude Chabrol Why this story? Délit de fuite tightly weaves reality and phantasm on the loom of a diabolic plot. This human tragedy about the solitude of a woman trapped in her unconscious is transformed into a psychological thriller where neurosis and madness brush with death.
Author: Dominique Dyens Genre: Novel Epoch: Present day and a few years before. Setting: Paris, La Défense, the road to Clermont-Ferrand Timespan: A few months in present times and + brief
EDITIONS HÉLOÏSE D’ORMESSON fl ash-backs Sarah Hirsch +331 56 81 30 73 [email protected] www.editions-heloisedormesson.com
11 13 15 The Last Conversation on the Titanic
What if some of the Titanic’s passengers had preferred to sit at the bar as she sank, having a chat about the meaning of life? What kind of things would they have said to each other?
The Titanic has just struck an iceberg. As everyone rushes to the lifeboats, a few colourful characters prefer to linger in the bar. A conversation on their impending deaths takes places between a faithless and lawless baron, his pious wife, the libertine Count Mosconi, the worldly Miss Thomson and her hidalgo. Will a young seminarist manage to lead this motley crew to salvation? Dernière conversation Film References:’Titanic’;’Kind hearts and Coronets’; sur le Titanic ‘Heaven Can Wait’ Why this story? The sinking of the Titanic has always been treated as a tragedy. For once we see it in a lighter, droll vein, in a context that reveals the true thoughts of totally different people who come together to seek a worthy, noble end to lives that have not always been commendable.
Author: Philippe Baleine Genre: Fiction Epoch: 1912 Setting: On the Titanic Timespan: One night
PRESSES DE LA RENAISSANCE Florence Maletrez Tel.: +331 53 63 52 83 fl [email protected] www.presses-renaissance.com
12 14 16 The Empire’s Last March
The Moorish adventures of a young lieutenant, graduate of Saint-Cyr.
The story of the little-known conquest of a corner of the Mauritanian desert by a unit of the French army which, not acting under orders, was never able to stake a claim. We discover their living conditions, Moorish romances and the impasses of the colonial endeavour via a young soldier in the Camel Corps’ apprenticeship of the desert. Film References: Fort Saganne Why this story? A story combining strong Romanesque elements and precise historical knowledge to produce a highly visual and factual saga. La dernière marche de l’empire
Author: Sophie Caratini Genre: Historical testimony Epoch: 1933-1935 Setting: Deserts of the North Mauritanian region Timespan: 2 years
LA DÉCOUVERTE Delphine Ribouchon Tel.: +331 44 08 84 35 [email protected] www.editionsladecouverte.fr
13 15 17 Men of Labour
The story of a woman doctor who recounts men at work.
In overalls, or collar and tie, wounded, weary or triumphant bodies. She observes them, and listens. At times, they can be entertaining. Between the ritual of consultation and funny situations in situ, she knows she won’t be able to change things. So she talks about her affection for those hard-working men... Why this story? A rare portrait of those who labour, intimate and respectful.
Des hommes à la peine
Author: Marie-José Hubaud Genre: Testimony Epoch: Present day Setting: France Timespan: A few months
LA DÉCOUVERTE Delphine Ribouchon Tel.: +331 44 08 84 35 [email protected] www.editionsladecouverte.fr
14 16 18 Disappear
England, 1935. A mysterious comatose man is about to die… The investigation reveals his identity: Lawrence of Arabia, who disappeared fi fteen years earlier, and also raises a question: is his death an accident, suicide or murder?
1935. Henry Walpol, a policeman, is driving along a quiet English road when suddenly he is overtaken by a motorcycle trying to avoid two young boys on bikes and a van coming from the front. The motorcycle crashes into a tree, the van fails to stop. Henry Walpol fi nds the injured man is still alive. An ambulance arrives with two inspectors who tell Walpol that he will not be in charge of the investigation, but he must come to the military hospital to make a report. Warpol wonders: who is the injured man? He Disparaître is kept in isolation with a nurse by his side night and day. And Walpol is not the only one asking questions: a Sunday Express photo-reporter is camping at the hospital gate, ready to pounce on the patient’s visitors… After many developments we discover that the dying man is Lawrence of Arabia. A new question arises: did he stage his own death, and if so, why? As England organizes a national funeral, Lawrence’s ashes are dispersed in the Euphrates. Why this story? For fi fteen years, Lawrence of Arabia disappears from the Author: Olivier et Patrick surface of the earth. This fi ctional story, based on solid documentation, is Poivre d’Arvor the investigation of the mystery behind the myth. A suspenseful enigma that paints a portrait of an ambiguous, multi-facetted hero. Genre: Drama-Thriller Epoch: 1888-1935 Setting: Dorset, Wales, Syria, Jerusalem, Lebanon, Egypt
GALLIMARD Prune Berge Tel.: +331 49 54 16 23 Tel.: +331 45 44 94 03 [email protected]
15 17 19 The Child of the Graveyards
A terrifying suspense by the new master of the supernatural. The discovery of an author whose universe is highly visual.
‘Victim of hallucinatory madness, a man kills his family before committing suicide. A teenager, believing himself to be pursued by shadows, shoots at the patients of a hospital, killing Kristel, a young art therapist. David, a photographer and Kristel’s fi ancé, leads the investigation with the help of Aurore, his young colleague. Sordid murders and suicides escalate under the helpless and terrifi ed gaze of the two investigators. Soon, all clues soon point to Nathaniel, a teenager who supposedly died L’ Enfant des cimetières in atrocious conditions three years before. Could he be, as the urban legend would have it, the mysterious child in the cemetary whose gaze kill all who look him in the eye? With the help of Inspector Vauvert, David and Aurore fi nd the trail of Nathaniel which leads them to Doctor Fontaine, a monstrous psychopath. They embark on a merciless struggle against evil to bring order back to town and save Nathaniel. Film References: The Crimson Rivers, The Ring Author: Sire Cédric Why this story? Sire Cédric’s universe is very visual. This story, which Genre: Fiction reaches beyond the realm of normality, will attract a wide public. Epoch: Present day Setting: A provincial town Timespan: A week
LE PRÉ AUX CLERCS Frédérique Polet Tel.: +331 44 16 05 76 [email protected] www.placedesediteurs.com
16 18 20 Evana 4
If you like Marilyn Monroe, Patricia Highsmith, James Bond, Hitchcock, blues-rock, noir, psychology, dark rooms, suspense and femmes fatales, you’ll adore Evana 4!
Megalomaniac fi lm producer Zender Arbacan once delighted the public with a movie whose shooting ended with the suicide of the leading lady. At the time, six young women tried to get the role. None escaped unscathed. Today, one of them is trying to take revenge. To fi nd out which, Arbacan invites his muses to a very private dinner party in his sumptuous property in Saint Jean Cap Ferrat. Eight women, with nothing in common but youth and beauty, meet with their magnetic, manipulating Pygmalion. Who’s the predator? Who’s the prey? Evana 4 Film References: Joseph Mankewiecz Why this story? Designed as 76 in camera scenes, this psychological thriller takes place in a Hollywoodian French Riviera. Heir to Agatha Christie and Joseph Mankiewicz, inspired by Hitchcock and his actresses, Philip Leroy’s universe is a tribute to the American studios’ golden age.
Author: Philip Leroy Genre: Thriller Epoch: Present day Setting: France
AU DIABLE VAUVERT Marie-Pacifi que Zeltner Tel.: +334 66 73 16 56 Tel.: +334 66 73 16 57 [email protected]
17 19 21 The Excuse
As old age approaches, a woman discovers that all of her highly successful life has in fact been manipulated to prevent her from the sad fate of the heroine of one of the most famous novels in world literature.
At the dawn of old age, Lise is still beautiful and enjoying life’s pleasures (alcohol, love, drugs). She has just inherited a magnifi cent island house on Martha’s Vineyard. The story begins when she opens the door. She remembers, long ago, the fi rst time she went there. She was a young French student who’d just lost her father. Her eccentric old aunt had taken her under her wing. She remembers that Nick, her cousin (25, handsome, witty, incurably sick) had greeted her on the veranda. Nick L’Excuse and his parents being dead, she is now heir to the house. She fi nds things that belong to Nick, papers, carefully laid out for her attention. Lise starts reading. Beneath the nostalgic, Fitzgeraldian text, another story emerges. A story of ascendancy, control. Lise realises her life has been manipulated even until now. Nick, who loved her, arranged everything to avoid her meeting the same fate as Isabel Archer, James’s heroine in’Portrait of a Lady’. Why this story? This is a love story. It is also a lively and amusing social Author: Julie Wolkenstein commentary. It is a plunge through time. It is a thriller. It is a homage to Genre: Drama one of the masterpieces of universal literature. Epoch: 2015-2020 Setting: Martha’s Vineyard, California Timespan: 30-40 years, fl ashbacks on a life
P. O. L Vibeke Madsen Tel.: +331 43 54 21 20 [email protected] www.pol-editeur.fr
18 20 22 The Ghost in the Eiffel Tower
1888. The construction of the Eiffel Tower is about to be completed. And already, someone is scheming to destroy it...
Paris, 1888. Armand and Odilon are apprentice draughtsmen, working side by side in the offi ces of Gustave Eiffel on what will be the engineer’s greatest invention and the city’s most famous landmark. The Eiffel Tower is the symbol of a new age: one of scientifi c marvels and technological achievements. But in the gas-lit streets of Paris, strange beliefs, dark desires and mysterious forces still persist. Soon Armand and Odilon fi nd themselves involved with a spiritualist society holding secret meetings at the Paris morgue, a cardreading clairvoyant, a female ventriloquist Le Fantôme de la Tour with a shady secret and a spirited young actress. Connecting them all, the scheming machination of Gordon Hole, an American architect who has Eiffel vowed to destroy the Eiffel Tower before its construction can be completed. Why this story? This book could adapt to both Cinema and television (in the form of a miniseries). It keeps its audience in suspense throughout the story with numerous cinema-like action scenes set in a time where Science, Technology and spiritualist dogmas were thought to be the key to man’s happiness. Author: Olivier Bleys Genre: Fiction or fi ctional documentary / Thriller Epoch: End of the nineteenth century Setting: Paris Timespan: 2 hours or 2X 90 mins
GALLIMARD Prune Berge Tel.: +331 49 54 16 23 Tel.: +331 45 44 94 03 [email protected]
19 21 23 God’s Fire
A huge, apocalyptic novel from Bordage!
‘Franx has predicted a cataclysm which will destroy a large part of humanity. With three other families, he forms a community in the wasteland of Périgord.’God’s Fire’ is designed to sustain its inhabitants for seven or eight years of autonomous survival. But the families become bored, and one by one, abandon the safe haven. The story begins when Franx, who no longer believes in his own creation, spends a few days in Paris. As the cataclysmal scenario unfolds before his eyes, Franx immediately leaves for home. His trek through a devastated country begins, in perpetual darkness and an increasingly cold atmosphere. As Le Feu de Dieu he is leaving Paris, a dying woman entrusts her daughter, mute and autistic, to his care. But the girl appears to be somehow involved in Franx’s visions. Together, they walk through perpetual gloom to the Périgord refuge. Film References: Sci-fi catastrophe fi lms (Twelve Monkeys, Children of Men, The Day After Tomorrow) with a deeper, more philosophical facet thanks to references to the Odyssey and the Old Testament. The suspense of a huis clos between a woman and a psychopath evokes Panic Author: Pierre Bordage Room. Genre: Science-fi ction Why this story? A portrait gallery worthy of great epic novels, a story Epoch: Present day with relentless rhythm and suspense. The contrast between the lonely Setting: France fl ight of the last survivor through France plunged into darkness, and the Timespan: A few weeks huis clos in a claustral bunker, exposes human nature in all its violence and truth.
AU DIABLE VAUVERT Marie-Pacifi que Zeltner Tel.: +334 66 73 16 56 Tel.: +334 66 73 16 57 [email protected]
20 22 24 The Runaway
Theo, 15, nagivates the aftermath of his older brother’s suicide.
With charm and lightness of touch, La fugue portrays the aftermath of a suicide told through the eyes of the brother left behind. Theo’s older brother Alex killed himself, leaving his family not only with the pain of mourning, but with the pain of incomprehension; he left no note behind. A year later, tired of the constant gloom hovering over his home, Theo decides to run away to the big city, but without considering the minor details. Arriving at the train station late at night, he learns that the last train has already left the station. So he turns to Marie, Alex’s former girlfriend. He goes to her house, where the two spend the night talking, his presence remaining a secret from her sleeping parents. It is the fi rst La Fugue time either has discussed Alex’s suicide, and they don’t hold anything back. They are joined by Marie’s supposedly Goth sister, who sleeps in a Snoopy T-shirt, and Theo’s best friend Zeb. What started as the unlikeliest of scenarios ends up being an important step forward. The four youngsters decide to write the suicide letter Alex never got round to writing, so permitting Theo’s parents to turn to the fi nal page, at last. Film References: Ordinary People, Juno (for its lightness in treatment of a serious topic) Author: Valérie Sigward Why this story? Beautiful, character-driven ensemble piece. Plot could be Genre: Drama/Coming of enriched. Age Epoch: Present day Setting: Small town in any country Timespan: 12 hours (with fl ashbacks to events in the past year) EDITIONS JULLIARD Gregory Messina Tel.: +331 53 67 14 89 [email protected] www.laffont.fr
21 23 25 The Runaway
Theo, 15, nagivates the aftermath of his older brother’s suicide.
With charm and lightness of touch, La fugue portrays the aftermath of a suicide told through the eyes of the brother left behind. Theo’s older brother Alex killed himself, leaving his family not only with the pain of mourning, but with the pain of incomprehension; he left no note behind. A year later, tired of the constant gloom hovering over his home, Theo decides to run away to the big city, but without considering the minor details. Arriving at the train station late at night, he learns that the last train has already left the station. So he turns to Marie, Alex’s former girlfriend. He goes to her house, where the two spend the night talking, La Fugue his presence remaining a secret from her sleeping parents. It is the fi rst time either has discussed Alex’s suicide, and they don’t hold anything back. They are joined by Marie’s supposedly Goth sister, who sleeps in a Snoopy T-shirt, and Theo’s best friend Zeb. What started as the unlikeliest of scenarios ends up being an important step forward. The four youngsters decide to write the suicide letter Alex never got round to writing, so permitting Theo’s parents to turn to the fi nal page, at last. Film References: Beautiful, character-driven ensemble piece. Plot could Author: Valérie Sigward be enriched. Genre: Drama/Coming of Why this story? Beautiful, character-driven ensemble piece. Plot could Age be enriched. Epoch: Present day Setting: Small town in any country Timespan: 12hours (with fl ashbacks to events in the past year) EDITIONS JULLIARD Gregory Messina Tel.: +331 53 67 14 89 [email protected] www.laffont.fr
22 24 26 Garden of love
An ambitious novel from the formal point of view, Garden of Love presents a fatal confrontation between past and present, sanity and madness. Brutality and Machiavellian cunning in this compelling thriller.
‘One day Alexander Astrid receives an anonymous manuscript called Garden of Love, a reference to the great English poet, William Blake. Through the’liaisons dangereuses’ of a youthful trio – betrayed loves, childhood hurts, ghosts and monsters of yesteryear – the mysterious and omniscient author veils his identity with perversion, while playing a manipulative game. The manuscript is haunted with mysterious, disturbing voices that whisper in his ear secrets and lies, temptations and remorse. The creator of this work is Edouard Dayms, a young man as brilliant as Garden of love he is deranged, who had so impressed Alexandre fi fteen years before as to leave him in speechless fascination. But today, perhaps he holds the keys to the enigmas left behind by Dayms… if only he were willing to plunge into a painful past. Film References: The Usual Suspects, Roman Polanski, Stanley Kubrick Why this story? Garden of Love is a fascinating novel artfully made up of episodes, with all the suspense of the fi nest thrillers. The main characters, with their painful secret pasts, are striking. Author: Marcus Malte Genre: Thriller Epoch: Present day Setting: The story takes place in France but could be easily adapted. Timespan: 15-20 years
ZULMA Amélie Louat Tel.: +331 58 22 19 90 [email protected] www.zulma.fr
23 25 27 The Lost One
A brilliant love story between a blind opera star and his assistant.
‘Claudio is a handsome opera star whose dream is to play Alfredo in La Traviata. Ater being blinded in a mugging, the realisation of his dream becomes unlikely. Laura, a homely, insecure woman, is hired to be the star’s guide during a concert tour. She falls in love with him, totally under his spell, even though she is obliged to overhear his nightly conquests as she sleeps in the neighbouring room. Surprisingly to Laura, Claudio soon falls in love with her. Laura convinces a hesitant Claudio to undergo a risky operation to restore his sight. When he wakes to fi nd the op has been a success, the one person he looks for is Histoire d’amour nowhere to be found. Convinced that Claudio will fall out of love once he sees what she looks like, Laura has vanished. Claudio, distraught by Laura’s disappearance, must carry on with his career and prepares the performance of his life as Alfredo. It is a bittersweet moment, as a dream comes true, for he had hoped to share it with Laura. Unable to stay away from Claudio’s performance, Laura attends the premiere. Though he doesn’t know she is there, he sings for her in despair. His voice will give her the courage to fi nally reveal herself. Author: Janine Boissard Film References: Notting Hill, The Bodyguard Genre: Romantic Drama Why this story? An original love story, with a triumphant, feel-good Epoch: Present day ending Setting: Paris (or any major city) Timespan: 1 year
EDITIONS ROBERT LAFFONT Gregory Messina Tel.: +331 53 67 14 89 [email protected] www.laffont.fr
24 26 28 The Female Killer’s Instinct
Melbourne, the Australian Open... PHT, a journalist in his fi fties, has seen it all. Cecilia, a pretty 19 year-old tennis champion, on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Improbable, yet... four thugs determined to get their hands on the Open takings cross their paths, bringing violence and bloodshed..
A journalist, PHT, covers the Melbourne Open for the umpteenth time, where Cecilia Martins is playing against Tamara Mercer. Meanwhile four thugs, Taylor, Shade, Mickey and Mac, are planning to pocket the takings of the Melbourne stadium. PHT unwittingly gives them access to the safety-deposit area. The journalist has been asked by Cécilia’s mother to fi nd a body guard for her daughter. To thank him, he’ll get a scoop: the fi rst exclusive interview with Cecilia. PHT contacts a vigilante who sends L’instinct de la tueuse him Mickey... who then fi nds himself with an offi cial badge and free access. When Cecilia spends her day off with Mickey he falls in love with her. In the gang, tension mounts as the hit day approaches, also that of the Tamara/ Cécilia match. Without warning, Mickey kills two of his sidekicks, hoping to join Cecilia and go away with her. PHT, also present in the changing room, throws himself at Mickey. PHT is killed. Carole calls Mickey a loser and kills him. Film References: Reservoir Dogs by Quentin Tarantino Author: Pierre Grundmann Ocean’s Eleven by Steven Soderbergh Genre: Novel, thriller Why this story? A nerve-racking, effective thriller featuring the kind of Epoch: Present day people we usually see at Roland Garros and Wimbledon Setting: Melbourne, Aus- tralia Timespan: A week
HACHETTE LITTÉRATURES Virginie Rouxel Tel.: +331 49 54 37 18 [email protected] www.hachette-livre.fr
25 27 29 Iouri
Murders have been committed in Paris. The police have almost no clues. If only it had occurred to them to search in an art gallery in the Marais district…
Iouri, a reputed Parisian painter, has developed a style which expresses the society around him. Security has become the main inspiration for his next exposition, but for this project, Iouri doesn’t confi de in his girlfriend, Max, who feels that the link between them is weakening. Fear is soon added to her pain when Iouri casually evokes the idea of committing a murder in order to test the concept of freedom. Iouri starts Iouri coming home late with no excuse, and one morning Max fi nds the paper open at an article relating a sordid crime. More and more suspicious about what Iouri might be up to, Max goes to the police but can’t bring herself to denounce him. On the day of the vernissage, she’s ready to play the role of the artist’s wife, the guests are eagerly waiting. The artist is not present, but promises to come later. When the paintings are unveiled, the audience is struck dumb: photos of murders cover the walls. Iouri has put his theory to the test... Author: Pia Petersen Film References: Perfume, Tom Tykwer The Edukators, Hans Genre: Love, tragedy, investi- Weingartner gation, suspense Why this story? A caustic portayal of the artistic milieu in Paris and of Epoch: Contemporary today’s political priorities combine to make an outstanding crime novel. Setting: Paris, Cannes - France Timespan: Several months
ACTES SUD Elisabeth Beyer Tel.: +334 90 49 56 66 Tel.: +334 90 96 95 25 [email protected]
26 28 30 I Was Just Behind You
A mixed race couple (she’s black, he’s white) break up. They’re young but they were only pretending to love, simulating pleasure, they lied to each other and themselves.from one heartbreak to the other, towards a new life?
Inevitably, because their relationship is based on a lie, he falls in love with another woman. Nothing really happens, but when he tells his wife he’s leaving, which he doesn’t really believe himself, she falls to pieces, fl ies into a tremendous rage, hits him, while he - feeling guilty - lets her. She then has an affair during a trip to Asia and takes revenge on her husband on her return, making their lives a misery. More tears and heartache. Until they separate and a future seems possible. A beautiful Italian passes him a note in a restaurant with a phone number, and the words’I was just behind you’. J’étais derrière toi This is conjugal hell, the ambiguity of love, the lies, the pretence. The violence between two people who have reached the end of a story, all the more devastating for being swept under the carpet and now clinically dissected. But the illusion of new beginnings is also present, and the contrast is striking. Why this story? There’s something of the’sentimental thriller’ in this novel. The characters are resolutely of our times, as is the violence of their relationship. A portrait of today’s man, unafraid of his own weaknesses, Author: Nicolas Fargues using them to prove how well he’s taken them on board. Genre: Drama, love Epoch: Present day Setting: Madagascar, Italy Timespan: A year
P. O. L Vibeke Madsen Tel.: +331 43 54 21 20 [email protected] www.pol-editeur.fr
27 29 31 I Came, I Saw, I no longer believe
A Senegalese man tells his incredible story: born in a village devastated by leprosy, he tried for three years to get to France illegally.
Omar Ba’s story is barely credible. Originally from a village in Senegal decimated by leprosy, he somehow escaped the scourge. Determined to reach Europe, he embarked on an adventure that was to last three years. The only survivor of an immigrant laden vessel, he has escaped death more than once. Today, he lives in France with a student visa and proclaims that the Paradise he was often told about is only a snare. Far from the promised pleasures, his world is hard and oppressive. Go home? Impossible without bringing shame to his family and losing Je suis venu, his honour. He has to appear as though he has succeeded. He must do j’ai vu, je n’y crois plus his best to survive without decent accommodation, work or even legal papers. In this book, he opts to denounce the myth of the Eldorado. Torn between the desire to leave and the necessity to stay, he pleads for an end to the murderous lie and for his friends to dream instead of Africa. Why this story? An exemplary life of courage, a rare viewpoint which shatters the myth of the European Eldorado
Author: Omar Ba Genre: Non-fi ction / life story Epoch: Present day Setting: Senegal, Saint-Etienne, Paris
MAX MILO EDITIONS Amélie Pasquet Tel.: +331 40 40 40 64 Tel.: +331 40 40 07 98 [email protected]
28 30 32 I’m Leaving
Leaving your wife isn’t everything, you have to go further than that. So Félix Ferrer goes off on a trip to the North Pole where a treasure is waiting for him, buried in the ice fl oe.
‘I’m leaving’, those are the fi rst words the hero of Echenoz’s novel, who has just decided to leave his wife, says. They are also the last words of the book, pronounced by the same hero when, after a year of wandering and adventure, broken-hearted, he comes back to haunt what was his conjugal home. He’s come full circle, the revolution is over, the digression has come to an end, the hero has simply grown a little older. He has had adventures we may well call heart-stopping, because of an irregular cardiac muscle, he went to the North Pole to pick up a treasure of ancient Eskimo art, he Je m’en vais was robbed and robber, swindler and swindled, seducer and seduced, he survived. All that’s left is a vague malaise and a bit of breathlessness. from book to book, since Le Méridien de Greenwich, published twenty years ago, Jean Echenoz has made himself the cartographer of his times. Of its earthquakes, its catastrophes. I’m leaving, the words could also be pronounced by a century quite incapable of knowing where it’s heading, which even forgets to ask itself the question. It’s leaving, that’s all. (Pierre Lepape, Le Monde) Author: Jean Echenoz Genre: Novel Epoch: Today Setting: France and the North Pole Timespan: 1 year
LES ÉDITIONS DE MINUIT Irène Lindon Tel.: +331 44 39 39 20 [email protected] www.leseditionsdeminuit.fr
29 31 33 The Diary of an Arms dealer
The confessions of an adventurer who dreamt of adventure
As a young man, he saw himself as a secret agent. Certain that selling arms was the surest way to approach that society, and become one of them, he got himself hired by a big arms manufacturer as a sales rep. One day, he discovers he is the object of a police investigation. So he decides to destroy the most compromising documents gathered over the years. As he looks over his fi les, he relives the most spectacular affairs… How he got locked in a hotel room in Baghdad while his companion, a French fi ghter pilot on a mission to deliver 4 Super-Etendards, was Journal intime d’un ordered to bomb the Iranian radars (although France was not engaged in that war); how he had to feign interest in the amateur football team marchand de canons of the Venezuelan navy to sell his Scorpène submarines… Spying on competitors in India, betraying his partners in the Middle East, ferocious negotiations in Georgia and Libya… When he’s got those dreams sorted out, he’ll publish them… Film References:’Lord of War’ by Andrew Niccol Burn after reading by Joel and Ethan Cohen’ Why this story? A spy story with a difference and it’s (almost) all true! Author: Philippe Vasset Genre: Adventure/Espionage /Humour Epoch: Present day Setting: France and the world Timespan:
EDITION FAYARD Ariane Foubert Tel.: +331 45 49 82 47 [email protected] www.fayard.fr
30 32 34 Just Before Winter
Czechoslovakia, 1969. Ivana, a café owner, tells the tragic story of the love between Anna, her young waitress, and Pavel, a student who was soon to be arrested and tortured by the regime.
Prague, 1969. The story is told by Ivana, an angry and bitter café owner, who watches Anna, her young and beautiful waitress, going cheerfully about her work as the world around her darkens. All men seem to be secretly in love with her. One day, Pavel, a student, walks through the door of the café. Ivana can only look on as Anna and Pavel fall in love. But she knows their story will end in a tragic manner, and somehow she hates Anna even more for that reason. Pavel is a poet. Before long, he is arrested and tortured. He is set free only to be arrested again at dawn, after his fi rst Juste avant l’hiver night back with Anna. Expecting his child, she waits in vain for his return. But she will never see him again. Ivana’s dark voice narrates the events as they unfold. But what has she gone through that makes Anna’s tragic love story so painful to her? Could Anna’s sufferings be an echo of Ivana’s own failures and broken dreams? Film References: The Unbearable Lightness of Being (a love story set in Czechoslovakia in the 60s) and Un Long dimanche de fi ançailles (eternal love between two young people, broken by the folly of History) Author: Françoise Henry Why this story? The story of a passionate love, crushed by a totalitarian Genre: Novel / Love / regime. In this huis clos with few but unforgettable characters, Françoise Tragedy / Historical Henry conveys the nightmare of a whole people. Epoch: 1969 Setting: Prague Timespan: A few months
EDITION GRASSET ET FASQUELLE Heidi Warneke Tel.: +331 44 39 22 00 [email protected] www.grasset.fr
31 33 35 Moon in a Dead Eye
5 senior citizens, content to spend their retirement in a high-security residence in the sun, allow their deepest neuroses to take over in this cruel and hilarious huis clos.
Martial and Odette leave their grey suburb for a’little paradise’ in the sun. Conviviality is a retirement village where life’s most essential comfort is guaranteed: 7/24 security. But soon, surveillance lapses and the boredom of isolation sets in. At last neighbours arrive, life in Conviviality can start to take shape. But the huis clos soon turns into an explosive cocktail. The outside world, constantly held at bay, becomes a source of terror. Obsessions and scars that never healed begin to Lune captive resurface. Until one angst-ridden night, when the moon’s face is refl ected dans un œil mort in the guardian’s right eye, eviscerated by a stray bullet … Film References: Dominik Moll, Raul Ruiz, Claude Chabrol, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne Why this story? The humour of Pascal Garnier and this infernal huis clos he has created. The theme of security and its perverse effects.
Author: Pascal Garnier Genre: Fiction, Huis-clos, drama Epoch: Today Setting: In the sunny South of France, a well-guarded seniors retirement village Timespan: A few months ZULMA Amélie Louat Tel.: +331 58 22 19 90 [email protected] www.zulma.fr
32 34 36 Magda and André Trocmé. Figures of Resistance
The lives and adventures of two great fi gures of the Resistance, two great humanists, two of the Righteous: Magda and André Trocmé.’Sir, we do not know any Jews. we only know human beings.’ (André Trocmé, 1942).’
Rev. André Trocmé met Magda in the U. S. in 1926. When the war came, they sheltered refugees in the French village where André was parish minister. Several hundred Jews and political exiles escaped deportation thanks to them. After the war, the couple devoted themselves to the International fellowship of Reconciliation, visiting places of confl ict, giving conferences, pleading for dialogue instead of violence. In 1949, Magda Trocmé was received by Rajendra Prasad, fi rst president of the Indian Magda et André Trocmé. Republic. In 1950, André Trocmé founded a refuge and a meeting place Figures de résistances in Versailles, where questions of non-violence could be debated. In 1956, Magda was at Martin Luther King’s side. In 1958, André went to Hiroshima and Nagasaki to attend the International Congress against the H Bomb. In 1959, he founded an association against the atom bomb with Nobel prize winner Alfred Kastler. Throughout their lives, they denounced evil, worked for peace and strived to help others. Film References: La Colline aux mille enfants by Jean-Louis Lorenzi tells how Magda and André Trocmé sheltered Jewish children Author: Pierre Boismorand Why this story? Magda and André Trocmé are internationally known as Genre: Non-Fiction two of the Righteous. But they have fought other combats, from antifascism Epoch: 20th century to antiracism, met personalities as different as Martin Luther King, Rosa Setting: France - Switzerland Parks, Indira Gandhi, Elie Wiesel, Abbé Pierre. This is the story of a couple through their diverse commitments and acts, from 1926 till their deaths. - trips to the United States, It reveals why Magda and André Trocmé are considered to be pioneers of India humanitarian solidarity. Timespan: 70 years
ÉDITION DU CERF Laurence Rondinet Tel.: +331 44 18 12 24 [email protected] www.editionsducerf.fr
33 35 37 Evil comes of Evil
A terrifying machination in the form of a descent into hell.
Ritualistic murders, one after the other. A young police detective tracks the serial killer, with the help of a young female profi ler. But what if all this was just a set-up? What if he, the policeman, was the target? And what if he was also the killer? Could he be that dose of evil, the homeopathic remedy that cures evil with evil? A highly original and effective thriller. Film References: The Silence of Lambs. Seven. Why this story?’Driven forward by realistic descriptions and rapid, Le Mal par le Mal cinematic scene cutting, the story offers a series of unexpected twists in the plot up to the fi nal, breathtaking denouement.’ Le Parisien
Author: Eric Nataf Genre: Thriller Epoch: Contemporary Setting: Urban France and Iceland Timespan: A few weeks + fl ashbacks to the hero’s childhood
ÉDITIONS ODILE JACOB Claire Teeuwissen Tel.: +331 44 41 64 80 [email protected] www.odilejacob.fr
34 36 38 Manahattan Freud
Freud and Jung go to New York to convince their American peers of the merits of psychoanalysis. No sooner have they arrived than a strange murder takes place, and they contribute to the investigation by using modern psychoanalytical methods.
As Freud and his disciple arrive in the US to preach the merits of psychoanalysis, a New York entrepreneur is found murdered, his daughter Grace unconscious next to him. Herman, the victim’s brother, asks Freud to help the girl with analysis while the police investigate. Kahn, the cop, discovers that August Korda had created a club of the 12 most powerful men in America. Inspired by alchemy, they aimed to make Manhattan a mythical town via the construction of huge skyscrapers, and to gain Manahattan Freud eternal life through purifi cation. Before August Korda died, two members of the club disappeared. Kahn, Freud and Jung fi nd their corpses in situations that recall alchemy: the fi rst drowned (baptism? ), the second crucifi ed. As suspicion falls on August Korda, Freud understands that Grace was abused by her father as a child and she confesses to his murder.freud saves Grace from becoming a victim in her turn and discovers the true identity of the murderer: Herman Korda, weary of living in August’s shadow. Film References: Freud, the Secret Passion by John Huston; Prendimi Author: Luc Bossi l’anima by Roberto Faenza; Tightrope by Clint Eastwood; Tristan by Genre: Fiction / Historical Philippe Harel Thriller Why this story? Written with precision, this novel evolves in a Epoch: Beginning of the 20th straightforward manner, observing an excellent balance between action and dialogue. No time is wasted, nothing is withheld that might add to the century plot. The situations are well cut and the dialogues effective, making for Setting: New York trouble-free adaptation. Timespan: A few weeks
ALBIN MICHEL Marie Dormann Tel.: +331 42 79 10 29 [email protected] www.albin-michel.fr
35 37 39 The Manuscript of the Holy Sepulchre
A Nobel prize physician analyses the Turin Shroud with the help of his sister, a doctor, and his brother, a cardinal, in a quest that will take them all the way to Christ’s tomb.
Cardinal Weiss gives Nobel-prize winner Professor Théo de Fully a secret mission: to check out the authenticity of the Turin Shroud. His idea is simple, if the carbon dating shows the 1st century, it will confi rm all the facts about the Holy Shroud and the Church will possess proof of the Resurrection of Christ. De Fully examines the Shroud, but his fi ndings worry the Church. However, the Professor, a believer, is still convinced that he will fi nd material proof of the Resurrection. Le Manuscrit du Saint-Sépulcre From hypotheses to discoveries, the scholar is swept along by events. His research takes him to Jerusalem where he obtains permission to dig for the authentic tomb of Christ, an unprecedented excavation. He makes extraordinary discoveries with unlimited consequences: an ancient text in a tomb, a DNA analysis of a skeleton that causes a media earthquake. De Fully’s archives are stolen and published in the Washington Post. Has he really found Christ’s tomb? Why this story? A scientifi c crime novel, based on scrupulous historical Author: Jacques Neirynck fact and theological documentation. Confrontations between the Church Genre: Fiction as an institution, a researcher and his work and the race for a scoop. Epoch: 20th century Setting: Italy - the Vatican - Switzerland - The United States Timespan: 8 years
ÉDITION DU CERF Laurence Rondinet Tel.: +331 44 18 12 24 [email protected] www.editionsducerf.fr
36 38 40 The Death Marches
The phenomenon of Nazi murderousness in its fi nal phase
‘For the fi rst time, the death marches that marked the end of the war are examined, not as a technique for massacre fulfi lling a political or strategic role, but as a separate episode in the history of the Nazi Genocide. During the last few months of the war, hundreds of thousands of prisoners were evacuated from concentration, detention and labour camps. The mass murders that occurred in the last months, from January to May 1945, have attracted limited attention, and only as part of the historiography of concentration camps. As the Allied armies progressed and the fronts collapsed, especially in the east, millions of civilians and soldiers fl ed or Les Marches de la mort were evacuated in panic from the Red Army. The centrepiece of the second part is a precise analysis of one event, the 1944-1945 massacre in Gardelegen. Within 6 months, between a third and half of the 700, 000 prisoners held in the camps in January 1945 had been killed. Anonymous civilians of the disintegrating Reich, fearing for the fate of their families and property, joined in the collective massacre.’ Film References: De Nuremberg à Nuremberg by Frédéric Rossif Why this story? Translation rights of this book have already been sold to Rowohlt Verlag (German language) and to Harvard University Press Author: Daniel Blatman (English language). The Italian edition will be released in May or June Genre: History 2009 by Rizzoli. Epoch: 1944 - 1945 Setting: Germany, Poland, Yugoslavia Timespan: Summer 1944 - Spring 1945
ÉDITION FAYARD Ariane Foubert Tel.: +331 45 49 82 47 [email protected] www.fayard.fr
37 39 41 Monster
A young doctor, accused of paedophilia, hunted, has to save his own skin, clear his name, fi nd the real culprit... and save his loved ones.
Dr. Paul Becker is on duty when a cop brings in a strange patient who leaves two clues behind: a name, Kosh, and a lap-top, containing paedophile photos and among them, one of his estranged father, whom he believes capable of anything. Paul investigates and fi nds the network. Then his wife and son disappear, and Paul walks into the trap laid by Kosh: forged’proof’ against him and a paedophile video found in his home. A monster in the eyes of the world and now a fugitive, Paul doesn’t give up and tracks down Sean, a boy Kosh brought up. But the trail Monster crosses his own past, a surprise to him: his father was in fact protecting him from his natural mother, a dangerous woman who specialises in child traffi cking, now the respected mayor of Miami Beach who is holding both Sean and Paul’s son. At the end of a breath-taking chase, Paul manages to use a local emergency phone and has Kosh arrested, discovers his origins, saves his family and fi nds his father again. Film References: Crimson Rivers by Mathieu Kassovitz Angel Heart, by Alan Parker Author: Patrick Bauwen Why this story? An ordinary man, plunged into a racket that reaches Genre: Fiction / thriller beyond his understanding, determined to stop at nothing to save his Epoch: Present day family. This thriller is written like a scenario, with powerful visual Setting: Florida (adaptable) scenes and an unfl agging rhythm. Timespan: A few days
ALBIN MICHEL Marie Dormann Tel.: +331 42 79 10 29 [email protected] www.albin-michel.fr
38 40 42 The Vasalis Paradox
An enthralling thriller that opens the doors of the secret and fascinating world of the Arts…
Since committing a professional error that earned her dismissal from the Louvre, Valentine has been entrusted with an outstanding mission by Elias Stern, a mythical Art collector. The Stern Foundation has just acquired a codex in deplorable condition, which supposedly conceals a forbidden 13th century text whose author, Vasalis, was burnt at the stake... The paradox is that by eliminating all traces of Vasalis and his work, the Vatican also turned him into a legend. But when a celebrated professor who had spent his life attempting to uncover Vasalis’ secret kills himself in the Court of honour at the Sorbonne, and the conservator of the Library of the Le Paradoxe de Vasalis prestigious university is found assassinated the same day, and Valentine herself receives death threats, she understands that as well as those accursed pages, the codex holds many other secrets... Film References: Da Vinci Code / Pars vite et reviens tard / The Name of the Rose Why this story? All the ingredients of a superb thriller are here: suspense; rounded, complex characters, and the historical attraction of the plot. Written by a specialist of the subject, excellent material for a breath-taking Author: Raphaël Cardetti and convincing scenario. Genre: Fiction Epoch: Present day Setting: Paris Timespan: A week
FLEUVE NOIR Aurélie Laure Tél.: +331 44 16 08 22 [email protected] www.universpoche.com
39 41 43 Could Be a Love Story
Virgile, in his thirties, has been dumped by a girl he has never heard of! As he is obsessed by the idea of winning that girl back, this apparently insignifi cant event will cause major changes in his life.
Virgile is a 31-year-old advertising man who is used to break-ups. Girls eventually split up with him. But when he returns home after an ordinary day at work and learns from his voice mail that Clara is leaving him, he starts wondering about his mental health: he has absolutely no recollection of that girl! Is someone trying to deceive him? He panics, thinks he might be amnesic and runs to see his shrink. He turns his back Peut-être une histoire on his past, cancels his phone and electricity subscriptions and sells his apartment. His ex-girlfriends want to comfort him but Virgile has d’amour only one obsession: to fi nd this woman he does not know, and win back her affections. This impossible quest ultimately challenges his entire existence and reveals his true self. Why this story? A tender romantic comedy fi lled with humorous twists and misunderstandings, with an eccentric hero completely out of touch with reality, a character who embodies a generation of young intellectuals with a bohemian lifestyle. Author: Martin Page Genre: Novel Epoch: Today Setting: Paris Timespan: One week
L’OLIVIER Joëlle Bouhout Tel.: +331 40 46 51 18 [email protected] www.editionsdelolivier.fr www.editionsduseuil.fr
40 42 44 Pietro Querini. The Shipwrecked of Röst
Shipwrecked on a remote island off the coast of Norway, the Venetian captain of a merchant ship sees his life transformed by his meeting with the islanders.
A 15th century Venetian gentleman, Pietro Querini, the heir of a powerful family of traders and a seasoned sailor, is on board a heavy merchant ship bound for Flanders. Just off Gibraltar, a violent storm damages the vessel. Then begins a long drift northwards into the unknown, the cold night of winter which men’s imagination has peopled with monsters and legendary creatures. After enduring unspeakable ordeals, losing his ship, most of his crew and above all, his young son, the captain is washed up on a desolate Pietro Querini. island off the Norway coast. After several agonising days, the last survivors Les naufragés de Röst are saved by the inhabitants of a nearby island. Several months later, when some of their number, including Pietro, go back to Venice, they fi nd their lives have been changed forever. Pietro returns as soon as he can to fi nd the woman he loves on the Island of Rost. Film References: The New World, Terence Malik; Last Action Hero, J. Mac Tiernan Why this story? A magnifi cent adventure story, about men and women from civilisations that are totally different. The evolution of a man who Author: Benjamin Guérif becomes great through facing ordeals, and in contact with the inhabitants Genre: Novel of another world. Epoch: First half of the 15th century Setting: Venice, the ocean, the Island of Rost off the Noway coast Timespan: Several months
ÉDITIONS RIVAGES Marie-Martine Serrano Tel.: +331 44 41 39 90 www.payot-rivages.net
41 43 45 Look After the Dog
A murder, right in the middle of Paris! Like in a treasure hunt or a maze, the characters and the reader search for answers - between laughter and derision - until the epilogue.
‘This novel is based on daily life in a Parisian apartment whose serenity is about to be disturbed by a mysterious murder… Max Corneloup, a writer of serialized novels, has just moved into a new fl at. Just across the street lives Eugene Fluche, a painter who keeps spying on him all day long. Exasperated, Max starts spying on Eugene too, noting everything down in his diary. An atmosphere of mistrust hovers over the neighbourhood… maintained by the concierge, Madame Brichon; Prenez soin du Chien a mad fi lmmaker, Monsieur Zamora; a writer of erotic novels, Lazare Montagnac; a dog, Hector, and other colourful characters… Anxiety levels rise. At the fi rst suspicious death, Detective Taneuse is sent to investigate. What lies beneath this case? Who benefi ts from the crime?’ Film References:’Rear Window’ by Alfred Hitchcock /’Delicatessen’ by Jean-Pierre Jeunet’ Why this story?’Prenez soin du Chien’ is a genuine fi lm noir and an Author: J. M. Erre entertaining page-turner. Genre: Fiction Epoch: Present day Setting: Paris Timespan: A few weeks
BUCHET-CHASTEL Christine Legrand Tel.: +331 44 32 05 64 [email protected] www.libella.fr
42 44 46 Women Walking by the Path
A psychological confrontation between two enemies bound by a troubling event in their past.
One day, Adrien Norte walks into the offi ce of The Agency. Adrien Norte is a best-selling author, and the person who takes on his case is Blair, a detective. Adrien Norte has been receiving anonymous threatening letters. Blair has to investigate, fi nd out if the threats are for real and, above all, who is sending them… In an atmosphere both oppressive and dream-like, the two men’s relationship is like a chess game… But who’s winning? And is it really a Les promeneuses game, or a question of life or death? Where is the line between reality and au bord du chemin pretence? With consummate skill, Pierre Pelot draws the reader into the maze of this strange confrontation. Every detail counts as he gradually reveals the mysteries of these’Women Walking by the Path’ in magnifi cently mastered style. An author renowned for his talent. A masterfully written psychological duel… with an unexpected ending! Film References:’Garde à vue’ by Claude Miller Author: Pierre Pelot Why this story? For its suspense, its many dramatic turns of event, the Genre: Crime unexpected ending. Epoch: Present day Setting: Nancy / Moselle Timespan: A few weeks
PHÉBUS Christine Legrand Tel.: +331 44 32 05 64 [email protected] www.libella.fr
43 45 47 Deadly Diet
What would happen if multinationals began manipulating our food to make us crave and devour more? Suspense, action and violence: here, the battle against obesity is transformed into a spectacular thriller.
A young doctor working in the nutrition department of a large Paris hospital. A 30-year old woman, obese and charming, consults. Why has she put on so much weight? Why do all solutions to treat her problem fail? Suddenly, the woman drops dead. Followed by a number of other obese patients... Adopting the role of the lone cowboy, the doctor single- handedly takes on one of the threats of the twenty-fi rst century. A young female journalist joins him in his investigation. Régime Mortel Why this story? ‘Eric Nataf blends all the ingredients of the crime novel in perfect doses: old family resentments, our ancestral fear of epidemics and sectarian extremes, in a guided tour - terrifying yet plausible - of the food industry.’ Le Monde
Author: Eric Nataf Genre: Thriller Epoch: Contemporary Setting: France Timespan: A few months
ODILE JACOB Claire Teeuwissen Tel.: +331 44 41 64 80 [email protected] www.odilejacob.fr
44 46 48 Saloon
A young Franco-American is overtaken by a past she has always tried to escape.
Thirty-year-old Parisian, Lisa Duval, thought she had put her past behind her forever, along with her rich and decadent American family. Above all, she thought she had seen the last of Vera, her sublime, pernicious mother. Until the day Vera turns up in a hotel where Lisa is working as a waitress, failing to recognise her own daughter. Shocked by the meeting and the memories that fl ood back, Lisa decides to drop everything, leave her husband and go back to the States to face her past and settle up with the family who are responsible for her trauma. The return of the unworthy daughter has devastating effects in this small, Saloon stifl ing world. Amid tension and breathtaking suspense, Lisa settles with her family one after the other, even Vera, the ultimate symbol of her traumatism, who is last to pay the price of madness … Film References: American Beauty, Virgin Suicide Why this story? The atmosphere, the setting, the characters: everything about Saloon has a cinematic dimension. A vitriolic portrait of the American bourgeoisie. Author: Aude Walker Genre: Fiction (drama, suspense) Epoch: Present day Setting: Paris, The Hamptons (USA), New York Timespan: Roughly a fortnight
DENOËl Claire Anouchian Tel.: +330 144 39 73 86 Tel.: +330 144 39 73 90 [email protected]
45 47 49 No Regrets
A married man has a chance meeting with his fi rst love, with whom he had a passionate affair fi fteen years ago. Their surprise encounter will disrupt the course of his existence.
‘Married to Jeanne and father to a ten-year-old daughter, Richard runs a hotel in the French countryside. One day, he runs into Isabelle, his fi rst love. The attraction is still as strong as it was fi fteen years ago, and their desire more vivid. But unlike Isabelle, Richard is not single. Isabelle, conscious of having let happiness escape her when she broke up with Richard, has decided to not make the same mistake twice. She does everything she can to hold on to him. Although reluctant at fi rst, Sans regrets Richard gives in and leaves his wife. Jeanne doesn’t let her husband’s betrayal wear her down. Rather, she makes plans for what has become her hotel and even appears to entertain the idea of dating again. Weeks pass, Richard’s affair with Isabelle becomes stormy. He is distraught and no longer recognizes the woman he fi rst loved in Isabelle. He has discovered a new side to Jeanne and dreams of winning back her love. Author: Françoise Bourdin Film References: César & Rosalie Genre: Fiction Why this story? A social issue the eternal love triangle; infi deltiy, Epoch: Present day midlife crisis: these are powerful themes that an audience is sure to Setting: Touraine identify with. countryside Timespan: A few months
BELFOND Frédérique Polet Tel.: +331 44 16 05 76 [email protected] www.placedesediteurs.com
46 48 50 The Secret of Lampa
A Chinese soldier is converted to the Tibetan cause after a bout of amnesia and a meeting with a Tibetan hermit.
The Chinese army has invaded Tibet. When the young Lieutenant Phung is the sole survivor of an avalanche, he is taken in by a hermit named Lampa. After a bout of amnesia, Phung has forgotten that he came to this land as an enemy. Tibet is now subjected to the cruel treatment of Colonel Xiao’s troops. The Colonel, one of Phung’s mentors, will never let Phung abandon his post. A chase ensues, which results in each man fi nding himself. Film References:’The Last Samouraï’ (Edward Zwick);’Dances with Wolves’ (Kevin Costner) Le secret de Lampa Why this story? This story of a man’s improbable conversion to a cause, and subsequent persecution by his bataillon, would make a lyrical and informative fi lm.
Author: Steven Gunnell Genre: Fiction Epoch: 1959 Setting: Tibet, China Timespan: 1 year
PRESSES DE LA RENAISSANCE Florence Maletrez Tel.: +331 53 63 52 83 fl [email protected] www.presses-renaissance.com
47 49 51 The Assassin’s Sonata
A renowned pianist moves closer to genius each time he kills another music-lover…
Laszlo Dumas - tall, elegant, a trifl e cynical. A renowned pianist. But lacking that touch of genius, that little something that makes good, great. Until one day he starts making subtle mistakes deliberately, and killing those who notice them. Immediately, his play improves and little by little, the critics agree that he’s a new virtuoso. While his crimes remain unsolved. Until one day he falls in love with the beautiful Lorraine who also notices his mistakes, or so he believes … There begins a descent into a Sonate de l’assassin psychological hell. Discovering the pleasures of the fl esh, he is detached from the aestheticism and cold deduction that guided his life until that point. How can he choose between Art and Love? Things get awkward when Arthur, Lorraine’s son of a previous marriage, takes a closer interest in his dark secrets. How far will Lazlo’s madness go? Film References: Perfume, adapted from Süskind Why this story? Perfectly controlled construction and suspense, complex characters and a killer with panache. Author: Jean-Baptiste Destremau Genre: Fiction Epoch: Present day Setting: Paris, NY, Tokyo Timespan: A year
MAX MILO ÉDITIONS Amélie Pasquet Tel.: +331 40 40 40 64 Tel.: +331 40 40 07 98 [email protected]
48 50 52 The Syriac Testament
A devil-may-care journalist and a police superintendant who’s passionately interested in Arab culture lead the investigation when a contraversial manuscript, which could cast doubt on the basic principles of Islam, is wanted by brutal fundamentalists.
Paul Mesure, a journalist, feels personally threatened when he learns that his Muslim friends have had their throats cut. After more killings take place, and documents are stolen from him, he realises that those who are responsible are in fact seeking an ancient manuscript he brought back from Africa and planned to sell at a good price. Treading delicately between killers with contradictory motives and members of the secret services, and followed by a beautiful Pakistani woman who’ll stop at nothing to Le testament syriaque take the relic back to her country, Paul fl ees with his girlfriend Sonia and begins to decode the incomprehensible codex, which could be the Prophet Mohammed’s testament. A chase begins for DCI Sarfaty, in charge of the investigation and a specialist of oriental culture: he must save Paul Mesure from certain death and prevent the Syriac testament falling into the hands of fanatics. Film References: The Da Vinci Code, Ron Howard; The Name of the Rose, Jean-Jacques Annaud; The Ninth Gate, Roman Polanski Author: Barouk Salame Why this story? An explosive, breath-taking thriller, unique of its kind, Genre: Novel devoted principally to Arab culture. Invites subtle refl ection on the history Epoch: Present day of religions and civilisations. Setting: Paris Timespan: Several months
ÉDITIONS RIVAGES Marie-Martine Serrano Tel.: +331 44 41 39 90 www.payot-rivages.net
49 51 53 Line for Lines
In the artistic bourgeoisie of Paris, two sisters whose destinies are thwarted by their rivalry.
‘Mathilde had a happy childhood with her twin brother until the birth of their younger sister, Eugénie, and their father’s tragic death. As their mother is reluctant to take care of the baby, Mathilde dutifully looks after her, becoming a model for her younger sister. Mathilde discovers her gift for painting and meets Frédéric, another artist, whom she marries. She achieves success quickly and her happiness is complete. But Eugénie insinuates herself slowly into Mathilde’s world. The older sister is overwhelmed by the feelings of Trait pour traits jealousy that come over her. Eugénie becomes pregnant and marries. Mathilde, who never wanted children, wonders if she hasn’t made the wrong decision. Might Frédéric regret not being a father? When Frederic goes off to war, Mathilde fi nds portraits of Eugénie and the inconceivable truth is revealed: her sister has seduced her husband and is now expecting his child. Can Mathilde overcome this ultimate betrayal? Author: Brigitte Lozerec’h Film References: Single White Female, Mina Tannenbaum, Whatever Genre: Fiction Happened to Baby Jane? Epoch: At the beginning of Why this story? The pernicious relationship of two sisters. A the 20th century psychological duel with a devastating issue. The fi nely-drawn portraits of Setting: Paris two women, victims of their own feelings. Timespan: 20 years
BELFOND Frédérique Polet Tel.: +331 44 16 05 76 [email protected] www.placedesediteurs.com
50 52 54 Three Men Alone
‘‘Christian Oster is the novelist of the fortuitous, the high priest of hazard, of coincidences that plunge his characters into paradoxical, zany situations that divert them from their original intentions and lead them to change their lives.’ (Annick Geille, Le Magazine des Livres)
‘Marie had invited me to spend a few days in Corsica. I could bring anyone I wanted. So I spoke to Mark, we’d been meeting on a tennis court for three months, next to the Porte de Clignancourt. He spoke to a bloke I didn’t know. On the back seat, I was able to fi t in the chair Marie left behind when she moved, two years earlier, and had asked me to bring. After that, the three of us left, saying we’d get to know each other on the way.’ Trois hommes seuls
Author: Christian Oster Genre: Novel Epoch: Today Setting: Paris and in Corse Timespan: A few days
LES ÉDITIONS DE MINUIT Irène Lindon Tel.: +331 44 39 39 20 [email protected] www.leseditionsdeminuit.fr
51 53 55 An Afternoon with Rock Hudson
A keenly observed and extremely amusing demolition of the Spanish bourgeoisie’s pretensions, and a delightful analysis of female psychology.
Dorita has made a success of life: she has a husband with a good job, children, furs, jewels, cars, a rich social life. In a crowded shopping street, she meets Carmen, an old school friend she hasn’t seen for years. Carmen is the dowdy, studious type. She has qualifi ed as a teacher but is still single. She has none of Dorita’s glamour, but her self-esteem is bolstered by her belief that she is indispensable to her sister’s family, as a baby-sitter. A coffee and a chat over old times is followed by a Martini, Un après-midi avec Rock then another… and another. Beneath the friendly words, each woman strives to assert her own value, and things become more and more Hudson fraught until, in a grotesque attempt to prove her sexual superiority, Dorita goes to the toilet for a sexual encounter with a man sitting at the next table. Film References: Pedro Almodovar’s fi lms, for their quirky, subversive tone. Why this story? What does’a successful life’ really mean? Mercedes Deambrosis answers that question with causticity and lucidity. Author: Mercedes Deambrosis Genre: Fiction Epoch: Present day Setting: Madrid Timespan: One afternoon
BUCHET-CHASTEL Christine Legrand Tel.: +331 44 32 05 64 [email protected] www.libella.fr
52 54 56 A God, an Animal
A man and a woman drifting in the boredom of their world: a desperate attempt at reunion with no chance of working out.
A man with neither illusions or bearings decides to leave his Corsican village for the Iraqi desert. He persuades a more naïve, trusting childhood friend, Jean-Do, to go with him. A woman suicide bomber at a checkpoint puts an end to Jean-Do’s life. Feeling guilty, the narrator returns to France. He takes refuge in a teenage love, Magali. Having spotted her by chance before leaving for Iraq, he sent her a letter proclaiming his love for her. When she reads the letter, Magali arranges to meet him and they spend the night together, rediscovering the happiness the years had taken away. The Un dieu un animal narrator disappears early in the morning, content with this last moment of pure joy. Convinced that any future between them is impossible, he goes into a fi eld and kills his dog, then himself. Magali doesn’t understand why he left, and goes to their childhood village in search of an explanation. She learns the truth about his death from his parents. Film References: The Deer Hunter, Michael Simino; Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola Beau travail, Claire Denis Paradise Now, Hany Abu-Assad Author: Jérôme Ferrari Why this story? The characters in this story try to make things work, to Genre: Love, tragedy, war stay in line, to fi nd reasons for carrying on with life. Destiny brings them Epoch: Present day and together in a tale that is all the more poignant because the author has childhood fl ashbacks succeeded in giving each one of them body and soul. Setting: France, Corsica, Iraq Timespan: 2-3 years
ACTES SUD Elisabeth Beyer Tel.: +334 90 49 56 66 Tel.: +334 90 96 95 25 [email protected]
53 55 57 A Perfect Bastard
A successful screenwriter, smug in his life of luxury, Paul Jarvis thinks he’s the king of Majorca. Until everything falls apart: affl icted by writer’s block, feeling manipulated by his secretary and his agent, he decides to get rid of them. But will he be able to control that particular scenario, nothing is less certain...
Paul Jarvis is a successful screenwriter, living in tax exile in Palma de Majorca. He is at the top of his game, enjoying the luxury of wealth with his third wife. His agent George Willie is his best friend, and his secretary Clara Saint irons out any problems before they come to his attention. But one day, Paul is struck with a case of writer’s block, staring down Un Parfait Salaud at the void of the empty page for a whole week. And then, a miracle – he wakes up to fi nd the start of a superb script on his desk. But who wrote it? When Clara Saint suddenly begins to control his mind and body, she threatens to expose him as an adulterer and a fraud unless he does her bidding. Paul is caught in a trap. His fi rst idea is to plan his own disappearance. Then, believing he has uncovered a machiavellian plot hatched by his mistress and his agent, he decides to kill her and frame George as the murderer. He plans the perfect murder. But of course there Author: Stéphane Denis is no such thing... Genre: Novel / Suspense / Film References: Dial M for Murder (Hitchcock) Detective Comedy Epoch: 1980 Setting: Palma de Majorca Timespan: A few months
ÉDITIONS GRASSET ET FASQUELLE Heidi Warneke Tel.: +331 44 39 22 00 [email protected] www.grasset.fr
54 56 58 The Life of an Anonymous Man
Three love stories, from Paris to Putin’s Russia: after a break-up, a Russian writer goes back to his homeland, twenty years after he left, to fi nd an old fl ame. Amid the capitalist frenzy he fi nds in St Petersburg, he meets an old man who recounts his fascinating love story, and in so doing, evokes the dark hours of Stalin’s purges.
Ivan Choutov is an unsuccessful Russian writer in his fi fties, who left his homeland about 20 years ago to settle in Paris. After the end of his liaison with a young woman, L, tired of the decay of the Western artistic scene, he decides to go back to St Petersburg where he hopes to fi nd Iana, a woman he once loved when he was young. But Russia is now a capitalist La vie d’un homme country and Iana, who directs a hotel chain, has become an aggressive businesswoman. She is busy turning an old apartment block into a luxury inconnu residence. There, an old man named Volski whom everybody believes to be mute, remains alone in a room. This forgotten grandfather opens up to Choutov and recounts the 900 days of the Leningrad siege, and tells him about his thwarted love affair with Mila. Choutov, aware that he does not belong to this new Russia, goes back to France. He realizes that he has to write about’anonymous’ fi gures like Volski, who remain silent in spite of their tragic destinies. Author: Andreï Makine Film References: The House of the Spirits (August), Una Giornata Genre: Novel Particolare (Scola), Doctor Zhivago (Lean) Epoch: Today, evocation of Why this story? Through the fascinating destiny of Russia, Makine offers the siege of Leningrad a poignant and universal testimony and draws a portrait of contemporary Russia, obsessed with extreme consumerism. Setting: Saint Petersburg, Paris Timespan: One month
LE SEUIL Joëlle Bouhout Tel.: +331 40 46 51 18 [email protected] www.editionsdelolivier.fr www.editionsduseuil.fr
55 57 59 Hitler’s Violin
‘Why did Hitler give orders for the execution of the famous violinist Gustav Schultz one evening in 1940? That is the question the violinist and former Israeli agent Gal Knobel needs to answer, after a mysterious cardinal asks him to fi nd a secret that could rock the artistic and religious history of Europe. Investigating in the musical milieu of Renaissance Venice, travelling through Europe, Gal Knoble will discover the truth in the end.’
France, 1940. After performing for the Fuehrer, a violinist who is investigating the works of an unknown composer called Rossi, is executed. A child witnesses the event. Venice, today. The violinist Gal Le violon d’Hitler Knobel, former Israeli agent, closes a concert with a piece by Rossi. Cardinal Morillon tells him how moving it was. Through that music, he had relived the most poignant moments of his past. Back in Paris, an appointment is made with the cardinal: a history of music and Nazism will surely interest him. A cardinal from the Vatican interested in a Jew, in the Fuehrer? The cardinal’s vocation was determined by a meeting with the’devil’ in 1940, when John Dale, a representative of the U. S. extreme right, was also present, seeking common ground Author: Igal Shamir with the Fuehrer. Gal’s investigation proceeds in several directions: Genre: Novel Rossi’s music; his links with Monteverdi; Nazi cells; Vatican networks Epoch: 1940/present day/ infi ltrated; and a possible link between Nazism and forces in America… Renaissance Italy Film References: Indiana Jones – Le Secret de la Momie – Da Vinci Code Setting: France/Paris/Venice Why this story? After the search for the Grail, crystal skulls, Indiana Timespan: 1 evening in Jones could turn his talents to European music:’the art of the soul’. No 1940/a few months in author lets us relive this vital episode of our cultural history with such epic intensity. France today/a few months during the Italian Renaissance PLON Jean-Marie Carpentier Tel.: +331 44 41 35 00 Tel.: +331 44 41 35 02 [email protected]
56 58 60 Zen city
A stunning technological thriller set in the universe of RFID chips
This story is the testimony of Dominique Dubois, a thirty year-old statistician on the dole who decides to answer a strange job offer. It invites him to settle in a little paradise for service sector executives in the mountains, a brand new life, key in hand. When he gets there, he discovers that as far as communication and security are concerned, Zen City is a veritable utopia, thanks to chips implanted under each inhabitant’s skin. In theory, nothing unpleasant can possibly happen in Zen City. In spite of all his efforts to settle down and make a success of it, he doesn’t feel happy: he crashes his brand new sports car, spends himself into debt, cant seem to seduce a girl and disappoints his colleagues. When a pretty young Zen city workmate is killed in her home, under the gaze of all the security systems, Dominique Dubois’ perfect world tips into a nightmare. Film References: Gattaca, and Brazil, for the accurate, intelligent presentation of a future strangely close at hand. Written by a young author perfectly at home with slasher movies and U. S. productions, well-versed in genre cinema and new cultures. Why this story? The story treats today’s fears with humour and malice: nanotechnologies, over-consumption, the capitalist system and the real Author: Grégoire Hervier value of work. Genre: Thriller Epoch: Present day Setting: Zen city Timespan: A few months
AU DIABLE VAUVERT Marie-Pacifi que Zeltner Tel.: +334 66 73 16 56 Tel.: +334 66 73 16 57 [email protected]
57 59 61 NOTES:
58 60 62 NOTES:
59 61 63 ACTES SUD BUCHET-CHASTEL FLEUVE NOIR Iouri P. 28 Un après-midi avec Rock Hudson P. Le Bonheur sur ordonnance P. 9 Un dieu un animal P. 55 54 Le Paradoxe de Vasalis P. 41 Elisabeth Beyer Prenez soin du chien P. 44 Aurélie Laure Tél.: + 33 4 90 49 56 66 Christine Legrand Tél.: +331 44 19 08 22 e. [email protected] Tél.: +331 44 32 05 64 [email protected] ACTES SUD christine. [email protected] L’OLIVIER/LE SEUIL Place Nina Berberova, BUCHET CHASTEL 27, rue Jacob Le Méjan, 7, rue des Canettes 75006 Paris 13200 Arles 75 006 Paris www.universpoche.com www.actes-sud.fr www.libella.fr
ALBIN MICHEL ÉDITIONS DU CERF GALLIMARD Manhattan Freud P. 37 Magda et André Trocmé Disparaître P. 17 Monster P. 40 Figures de résistances P. 35 Le fantôme de la tour eiffel P. 21 Marie Dormann Le Manuscrit du Saint-Sépulcre P. 38 Prune Berge Tél.: +331 42 79 10 29 Laurence Rondinet Tél.: +331 49 54 16 23 marie. [email protected] Tél.: +331 44 18 12 24 prune. [email protected] EDITIONS ALBIN MICHEL laurence. [email protected] EDITIONS GALLIMARD 22, rue Huyghens LES ÉDITIONS DU CERF 5, rue Sébastien Bottin 75014 Paris 29, boulevard La Tour Maubourg 75328 Paris www.albin-michel.fr 75340 Paris cedex 07 www.gallimard.fr www.editionsducerf.fr
L’ATALANTE LA DÉCOUVERTE GRASSET AquaTM P. 7 La dernière marche de l’empire P. 15 Juste avant l’hiver P. 33 Le Clairvoyage P. 12 Des hommes à la peine P. 16 Un Parfait Salaud P. 56 Annette Werther-Medou Delphine Ribouchon Heidi Warneke Tél.: +332 40 89 14 41 Tél.: +331 44 08 84 35 Tél.: +331 44 39 22 00 a. [email protected] d. [email protected] [email protected] L’ATALANTE LA DÉCOUVERTE EDITIONS GRASSET ET FASQUELLE 11 & 15 rue des Vieilles-Douves 9, bis rue Abel-Hovelacque 61, rue des Saints Pères 44000 Nantes 75013 Paris 75006 Paris www.l-atalante.com www.editionsladecouverte.fr www.grasset.fr
AU DIABLE VAUVERT DENOËL HACHETTE LITTÉRATURES Zen city P. 59 Saloon P. 47 Alain Delon est une star au Japon P. Le feu de dieu P. 22 A la recherche d’Alice P. 4 6 Evana 4 P. 19 Nickie Athanassi L’instinct de la tueuse P. 27 Marie-Pacifi que Zeltner Tél.: +331 44 39 73 76 Virginie Rouxel Tél.: + 33 6 22 05 19 78 nickie. [email protected] Tél.: +331 49 54 37 18 [email protected] ÉDITIONS DENOËL [email protected] EDITIONS VAUVERT 9, rue du Cherche-Midi [email protected] La Laune - BP 72 75006 Paris HACHETTE LITTERATURES 30600 Vauvert www.denoel.fr 31, rue de Fleurus www.audiable.com Paris Cedex 06 www.hachette-livre.fr
BELFOND FAYARD EDITIONS HÉLOÏSE D’ORMESSON Sans regrets P. 48 Les marches de la mort P. 39 Boomerang P. 10 Trait pour Traits P. 52 Journal intime d’un marchand Délit de fuite P. 13 Frédérique Polet de canon P. 32 Sarah Hirsch Tél.: +331 44 16 05 76 Ariane Foubert Tél.: +331 56 81 30 73 frederique. [email protected] Tél.: +331 45 49 82 47 [email protected] PLACE DES EDITEURS [email protected] EDITIONS HÉLOÏSE D’ORMESSON 12, avenue d’Italie EDITIONS FAYARD 87, bd St-Michel 75013 Paris 13, rue du Montparnasse 75005 Paris www.placedesediteurs.com 75006 Paris www.editions-heloisedormesson.com 60 62 64 www.fayard.fr JULLIARD PERRIN PRESSES DE LA RENAISSANCE La Fugue P. 23 Biribi, dans l’enfer Dernière conversation Gregory Messina des bagnes coloniaux P. 8 sur le Titanic P. 14 Tél.: +331 53 67 14 89 Charlotte, le soleil noir Le secret de Lampa P. 49 [email protected] de la mélancolie P. 11 Florence Maletrez EDITIONS ROBERT LAFFONT Judith Becqueriaux Tél.: +331 53 63 52 83 24, avenue Marceau Tél.: +331 53 63 50 16 fl orence. [email protected] 75008, Paris, France judith. [email protected] PRESSES DE LA RENAISSANCE www.laffont.fr PERRIN 11, rue de Grenelle 11, rue de Grenelle 75007 Paris 75007 PARIS www.presses-renaissance.com www.editions-perrin.fr
MAX MILO PHÉBUS RIVAGES Je suis venu, j’ai vu, Les promeneuses au bord de l’eau P. Pietro Querini. je n’y crois plus P. 30 45 Les naufragés de Röst P. 43 Sonate de l’assassin P. 50 Christine Legrand Le testament syriaque P. 51 Amélie Pasquet Tél.: +331 44 32 05 64 Marie-Martine Serrano Tél.: +331 40 40 40 64 christine. [email protected] Tél.: +331 44 41 39 90 [email protected] PHÉBUS EDITIONS PAYOT RIVAGES MAX MILO EDITIONS 7, rue des Canettes 106, boulevard Saint-Germain 34, rue de Lancry 75006 Paris 75006 PARIS 75010 Paris www.libella.fr www.payot-rivages.net
MINUIT PLON ROBERT LAFFONT Je m’en vais P. 29 A part ça, les hommes vont bien P. 5 Histoire d’amour P. 26 Trois hommes seuls P. 53 Le violon d’hitler P. 58 Gregory Messina Irène Lindon Jean-Marie & Nathalie CARPENTIER Tél.: +331 53 67 14 89 Tél.: +331 44 39 39 20 Tél. + 33 6 25. 89. 25. 06 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] EDITIONS ROBERT LAFFONT LES EDITIONS DE MINUIT PLON 24, avenue Marceau 7, rue Bernard-Palissy 76, rue Bonaparte 75006 Paris 75008, Paris, France 75006 Paris France www.calfrance.fr www.laffont.fr www.leseditionsdeminuit.fr www.plon.fr
ÉDITIONS ODILE JACOB P. O. L LE SEUIL Le Mal par le Mal P. 36 L’Excuse P. 20 La vie d’une homme inconnu P. 57 Régime mortel P. 46 J’étais derrière toi P. 31 Joëlle Bouhout Claire Teeuwissen Vibeke Madsen Tél.: +331 40 46 51 18 Tél.: +331 44 41 64 80 Tél.: +331 43 54 21 20 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] L’OLIVIER/LE SEUIL ODILE JACOB P. O. L Editeur 27, rue Jacob 75006 Paris 15, rue Souffl ot 33, rue St-André-des-Arts www.editionsdelolivier.fr 75005 Paris 75006 Paris www.editionsduseuil.fr www.odilejacob.fr www.pol-editeur.fr
L’OLIVIER LE PRÉ AUX CLERCS ZULMA Peut-être une histoire L’Enfant des cimetières P. 18 Garden of love P. 25 d’amour P. 42 Frédérique Polet Lune captive dans un œil mort P. 34 Joëlle Bouhout Tél.: +331 44 16 05 76 Amélie Louat Tél.: +331 40 46 51 18 frederique. [email protected] Tél.: +331 58 22 19 90 [email protected] PLACE DES EDITEURS amelie. [email protected] L’OLIVIER/LE SEUIL 12, avenue d’Italie ZULMA 27, rue Jacob 75006 Paris 75013 Paris 122, boulevard Haussmann www.editionsdelolivier.fr www.placedesediteurs.com 75008 Paris www.editionsduseuil.fr www.zulma.fr 61 63 65 Catalogue édité par le BIEF Traduction, relecture : Catherine McMillan Conception graphique : Drops.fr Impression : Magenta Mai 2009