François Bégaudeau, born on April 27, 1971, in Luçon, Vendée, France, is a multifaceted French writer, journalist, and actor. He gained widespread recognition for co-creating and starring in the film "Entre les murs" (2008), which is adapted from his 2006 novel of the same title. This critically acclaimed film clinched the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008 and garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film the following year.
Before establishing his literary and cinematic career, Bégaudeau was a member of the punk rock band Zabriskie Point in the 1990s. He pursued studies in Literature and later taught at a high school in Dreux as well as an inner-city middle school in Paris. His literary journey began with his debut novel "Jouer juste" in 2003, followed by "Dans la diagonale" and "Un démocrate, Mick Jagger 1960-1969" in 2005, the latter being a fictional portrayal of rock icon Mick Jagger. His third novel, "Entre les murs," earned him the Prix France Culture/Télérama.
Bégaudeau has also contributed as a movie critic for the French edition of Playboy and has written for notable publications like Cahiers du cinéma, Inculte, and Transfuge. Since 2006, he has served as a columnist on Canal+ television, further solidifying his influence in French media and culture. The English translation of "Entre les murs" was released in April 2009, published by Seven Stories Press as "The Class."
