Jean-Claude Izzo

Jean-Claude Izzo (Marseille 20 June 1945 – Marseille 26 January 2000) was a French poet, playwright, screenwriter, and novelist who achieved sudden fame in the mid-1990s with the publication of his three neo-noir crime novels Total Chaos, Chourmo, and Solea (widely known as the Marseilles Trilogy), featuring as protagonist ex-cop Fabio Montale, and set in the author's native city of Marseille. All have been translated into English by Howard Curtis.

Jean-Claude Izzo was born on 20 June 1945 in Marseille, France. His father was an Italian immigrant from Castel San Giorgio (provincia di Salerno) and his maternal grandfather was a Spanish immigrant. He excelled in school and spent much of his time at his desk writing stories and poems. But because of his "immigrant" status, he was forced into a technical school where he was taught how to operate a lathe.

In 1963, he began work in a bookstore. He also actively campaigned on behalf of Pax Christi, a Catholic peace movement. Then, in 1964, he was called up for military duty in Toulon and Djibouti. He worked for the military newspaper as a photographer and journalist.

Bibliography

• Poèmes à haute voix (P.J. Oswald, 1970)
• Terres de feu (P.J. Oswald, 1972)
• État de veille (P.J. Oswald, 1974)
• Braises, brasiers, brûlures (poesie illustrate da E. Damofli, 1975)
• Paysage de femme (Guy Chambelland, 1975)
• Le réel au plus vif (Guy Chambelland, 1976)
• Clovis Hughes, un rouge du Midi (J. Laffitte, 1978)
• Total Kheops (Gallimard, Série Noire, 1995). Italian translation Casino totale (Editions and/or, 1998). English translation Total Chaos (New York: Europa Editions, 2005).
• Chourmo (Gallimard, Série Noire, 1996). Italian translation Chourmo. Il cuore di Marsiglia (Editions and/or, 1999). English translation Chourmo (New York: Europa Editions, 2006).
• Loin de tous rivages (Ed. du Ricochet, 1997)
• Les marins perdus (Flammarion, 1997). Italian translation Marinai perduti (Editions and/or, 2001). English translation The Lost Sailors (New York: Europa Editions, 2007). Dutch translation Eindpunt Marseille (Breda: De Geus, 2007).
• Vivre fatigue (Librio, 1998). Italian translation Vivere stanca (Editions and/or, 2001)
• Soléa (Gallimard, Série Noire, 1998). Italian translation Solea (Editions and/or, 2000). English translation Solea (New York: Europa Editions, 2007).
• L'Aride des jours (Ed. du Ricochet, 1999)
• Le soleil des mourants (Flammarion, 1999). Italian translation Il sole dei morenti (Editions and/or, 2000). English translation A Sun for the Dying (New York: Europa Editions, 2008).
• Un temps immobile (Filigrane Editions, 1999)
• La Méditerranée en fragments (Maison méditerranéenne des sciences de l'homme, 2000) Italian translation Frammenti di Mediterraneo story in Rappresentare il Mediterraneo. Lo sguardo francese (Mesogea, 2000)
• Marseille (Hoëbeke, 2000). Italian translation Aglio, menta e basilico (Editions and/or, 2006)

Awards

• 1996: Prix Sang d'encre for Chourmo.
• 2001: Deutscher Krimi Preis in the category of International (1. Platz) for Chourmo.

Filmography as an author or screenwriter

• Les matins chagrins, directed by Jean-Pierre Gallepe (1990)
• Fabio Montale, series of three TV movies, directed by José Pinheiro (2001). Adaptation highly controversial especially for the fact that for the role of Montale was chosen Alain Delon whose ideas and whose personality are opposite with respect to those of Izzo.
• Roger et Fred, TV movie (2001).
• Total Kheops, directed by Alain Bévérini (2002)
• Les marins perdus, directed by Claire Devers (2003)

See also

• Mediterranean noir

External links

• Guardian Books blog