François-Olivier Rousseau was born on September 20, 1947, in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. He is a renowned journalist and writer, whose career has spanned multiple decades.
Initially, Rousseau worked as a young literary critic at Le Matin de Paris in the late 1970s. He soon transitioned to becoming a novelist, achieving instant success and accumulating several prestigious literary awards. This significant milestone marked the beginning of his remarkable writing career.
Rousseau's remarkable journey took an unexpected turn when he relocated to the Isle of Man, where he settled in Douglas, the capital city with a population of merely 20,000 inhabitants. Despite the change in environment, he dedicated himself entirely to his writing, often taking breaks between voyages to focus on his craft.
As a French writer, Rousseau has a unique fascination with the period between Napoleon III and the First World War. He believes that the war was an inexplicable and incomprehensible event that he is determined to understand. In his writing, he delves deep into the lives of artists during this era, meticulously capturing the intricacies of their lives.
The Éditions du Seuil published a novelization of the film Children of the Century, which Rousseau co-wrote. This novel explores the romantic relationship between George Sand and Alfred de Musset.
