Érik Orsenna

Érik Orsenna (real name Érik Arnoult) is a French novelist and former government advisor born in Paris in 1947. He studied philosophy, political science, and economics at Sciences Po and the London School of Economics before careers in academia, international finance, and politics, including advising François Mitterrand and serving on the Conseil d'État since 1985; he was elected to the Académie Française in 1998. Notable works include L'Exposition coloniale, winner of the Prix Goncourt in 1988, and La grammaire est une chanson douce.