Portrait of a Kedge alumnus turned novelist

François Librini has an unusual background. He got his diploma at KEDGE in 1992. Then, at 23 years of age and with his studies finished, he returned to his quasi-natal Auvergne quasi-native to work in National Education as a school professor. At the same time, he took up music and founded a rock group that had some success in the region.

In 1999, at 30 years of age, he thought it was time to change the road he was on. "I told myself that I was too old to play rock (I was mostly fed up with it…) and that it was time to finally do the project that I had planned 20 years previously, and which had always stayed at the back of my mind: to write novels” François explained. 

He also gives presentations in schools to show children the human dimension of books - all the necessary work that goes into the writing of a book - and to make them aware that the text needs to be reworked many times before it is finally completed.

His novels are aimed for young people (age 10 and over). His characters are young teenagers who, initially, aren’t hero material, but events they are faced with force them to surpass themselves... and to grow.

François Librini finished his first novel “À pleine tube” in September 1999, which was published by Magnard Jeunesse in 2002. It received numerous awards: 2002 Goya Découverte Prize, Prix des Montagnes d'Auvergne, Prix Fiction Noire 2003, Prix des Jeunes Lecteurs du Pays de la Gentiane 2004, Prix Martinique du Livre de Jeunesse 2006-2007.

These were followed by an additional four books: "À fond de train" (2003) and "L'inconnu du 13 octobre" (2004), both with Magnard Jeunesse, then "120 ans plus tard" (2007) and "Coup de tabac" (2008) published by Oskar Jeunesse. "École buissonnière", his sixth novel, was released on 12 September 2012, by Oskar Jeunesse.

His first three books were reissued in May 2018 and are available on Amazon (French titles only):

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