After studying literature at Auxerre, he took first place in the Id'HEC competition. He studied French literature at the University of Bombay; he became assistant director to Roberto Rossellini. Back in France, he produced five feature films.

Writer language generous and inventive, his early works are thrillers carried by rich language and warm spirit.We found his talent as a screenwriter in dialogues and descriptions he writes.

He became famous among the general public in 1989, winning the Prix Goncourt for his novel A major step towards God.

In 1987, with writer Dan Franck, he created a press photographer character with a big heart called Boro (the "model" most likely was Robert Capa).

Assistant Director

• India, Terre Mère
• Paris nous appartient
• Les Quatre Cavaliers de l'Apocalypse
• Le Jour le plus long

Director

• Le Dimanche de la vie
• Adieu l'ami
• Jeff

Screenwriter

• Flic ou Voyou de Georges Lautner
• Garde à vue de Claude Miller

Actor

• Le Marginal de Jacques Deray

• À bulletins rouges, 1973
• Billy-Ze-Kick, 1974
• Mister Love, 1977
• Typhon gazoline, 1977
• Bloody-Mary, 1979 - Novel adapted by Jean Teulé 1984
• Groom, 1981 :
• Canicule, 1982
• La Vie Ripolin, 1987
• Un grand pas vers le bon Dieu, 1989 Prix Goncourt
• Symphonie Grabuge, 1994 Prix du roman populiste
• Le Roi des ordures, 1997
• Un monsieur bien mis, 1987
• Le Cri du peuple, 1998 Prix Louis Guilloux
• L’homme qui assassinait sa vie, 2001
• Le Journal de Louise B., 2002

Four French Soldiers

• Adieu la vie, adieu l’amour, 2004 [vol 1]
• La Femme au gant rouge, 2004 [vol 2]
• La grande zigouille, Octobre 2009 [vol 3]

Non-Fiction

• 1983 : Patchwork, Prix des Deux Magots 1984
• 1986 : Baby-boom, Prix Goncourt de la Nouvelle 1986
• 1989 : Dix-huit tentatives pour devenir un saint
• 1992 : Courage chacun
• 2005 : Si on s’aimait ?
• 2009 : Maîtresse Kristal et autres bris de guerre

Collaboration

• Les Aventures de Boro, photographer Dan Franck
• La Dame de Berlin, 1987
• Le Temps des cerises, 1990
• Les Noces de Guernica, 1994
• Mademoiselle Chat, 1996
• Boro s’en va-t-en guerre, 2000
• Cher Boro, 2005
• La Fête à Boro, 2007
• La Dame de Jérusalem, 2009