Born in Casablanca in 1944 to a military family, after a childhood spent traveling the world across Africa, Asia, and Europe, he graduated in Literature from the University of Nice and began working as a high school teacher in the city. In Paris, he dedicated himself permanently to his writing career, without however giving up teaching "difficult children." His stories are distinguished by their humor and surrealism, though they remain deeply rooted in the contradictions of our time. Author of several children's books, as well as pamphlets, essays, and comic books, he achieved success after the age of forty with the famous Belleville series (named after the Parisian neighborhood where he resides): eight novels – which found their definitive conclusion in the diptych composed of Il caso Malaussène (2017) and the final, sweeping chapter Capolinea Malaussène (2023) – centered on Benjamin Malaussène (profession: scapegoat) and his family. The recent hybrid volume between fiction and autobiography, Il mio assassino (2024), is also connected to this famous saga. Due to the lively prose and unforgettable gallery of characters, the works of the cycle became worldwide bestsellers. In the 1990s, alongside the children's saga featuring the young Kamo, Pennac gave voice to the reader and their inalienable rights in Come un romanzo (1992). Among his works, other highlights include Diario di scuola (2008); Storia di un corpo (2012); Ernest e Celestine (2013); the volumes Mio fratello (2018), La legge del sognatore (2020), and Le parole fanno il solletico (co-authored with Stefano Bartezzaghi, Salani, 2025). In 2005, the French government awarded him the Legion of Honor for arts and literature; in 2013, he was awarded an Honorary Degree in Pedagogy from the University of Bologna..

(photo: © Festivaletteratura)