Jean-Claude Izzo | |
|---|---|
 Jean-Claude Izzo at the 1997 International Geography Festival | |
| Born | 20 June 1945 Marseille, France |
| Died | 26 January 2000 (aged 54) Marseille, France |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Language | French |
| Nationality | French |
| Genre | Mediterranean noir, crime novel |
| Notable works | The Marseille Trilogy |
| Notable awards | Trophées 813, Prix Sang d'Encre |
| Website | |
| www | |
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.[1]
Jean-Claude Izzo was born on 20 June 1945 in Marseille, France. His father was an Italian immigrant from Castel San Giorgio (Province of 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. In 1964, he was called up for military duty in Toulon and Djibouti. He worked for the military newspaper as a photographer and journalist.
