Amélie Nothomb in conversation with Jacques De Decker

On the occasion of her induction into the Académie royale de langue et de littérature françaises de Belgique, Amélie Nothomb will talk at Flagey's Studio 4 with Jacques De Decker and Adrienne Nizet about her writing and her latest novel, Le crime du comte Neville.

Born into a Belgian aristocratic family and the daughter of a diplomat, Amélie Nothomb spent her early childhood in Japan where she soaked up Japanese culture. At the age of 25, she broke onto the literary scene with her novel Hygiene and the Assassin (1992, Eng. trans. 2010), unanimously hailed by critics and readers alike. She has since written 23 books – one a year, all published in France by Albin Michel. Some highlights are Loving Sabotage (1993; Eng. trans. 2000), The Stranger Next Door (1995; Eng. trans. 1996), The Character of Rain (2000; Eng. trans. 2003), Cosmétique de l’ennemi (2001, untrans.), The Book of Proper Names (2002; Eng. trans. 2004), Antichrista (2003; Eng. trans. 2004), Sulphuric Acid (2005; Eng. trans. 2007), La nostalgie heureuse (2013, untrans.) and Fear and Trembling (1999; Eng. trans. 2002), which was awarded the Grand Prix du roman of the Académie française. Amélie Nothomb has also won the Prix Jacques-Chardonne, the Prix de Flore and the Prix Jean Giono for her entire oeuvre. Her novels have been translated into 40 languages, from the United States to Japan.

Passa Porta, Flagey, Académie royale de langue et de littérature françaises de Belgique