Pascal Quignard

Pascal Quignard (born April 23, 1948) is a French writer born in Verneuil-sur-Avre, Eure. In 2002 his novel Les Ombres errantes won the Prix Goncourt, France's top literary prize. Terrasse à Rome (Terrasse in Rome), received the French Academy prize in 2000. In 1980 Carus had been awarded the "Prix des Critiques".

One of Quignard's most commented works are perhaps his eighty-four "Little Treatises", first published in 1991 by Maeght. But his most popular book is probably Tous les matins du monde (All the Mornings in the World), about 17th-century viola de gamba player Marin Marais and his teacher, Sainte-Colombe, which was adapted for the screen in 1991, by director Alain Corneau. Quignard wrote the screenplay of the film, in collaboration with Corneau. Tous les matins du monde, starring Jean-Pierre Marielle, Gérard Depardieu and son Guillaume Depardieu, was a tremendous success in France and sold 2 million tickets in the first year. It was subsequently distributed in 31 countries, and released in 1992 in the United States. The soundtrack was certified platinum (500,000 copies) and made musician Jordi Savall an international star.

Quignard has also translated works from the Latin (Albucius, Porcius Latro), Chinese (Kong-souen Long), and Greek (Lycophron).

Six of his books are available in English: Albucius (The Lapis Press), The Salon in Württemberg (Grove Weidenfeld), All the World's Mornings (Graywolf Press), Sarx and On Wooden Tablets: Apronenia Avitia (Burning Deck), and The Roving Shadows (Seagull Books).