Juanita le Pingouin, Dur de Dur, Tour Ce Qu’on Ne Dit Pas and more: Agnès Desarthe has produced shelves full of books for children and adolescents, and a first novel, Quelques Minutes de Bonheur Absolu, published by Editions de l’Olivier. Her proposal for a novel called Un Secret Sans Importance, now in bookstores, won over the jury of the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation. The story? "It's like a giant relay race. There are five main characters who live in the same suburb; they're just about to make an important transition in their lives, either passing the baton to the next generation or waiting to take over." After two years of preparatory work, Agnès started at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, and then passed a competitive exam in English to earn a postgraduate degree in English linguistics. Although the word 'author' seemed foreign to her, Agnès always had a taste for writing, and for the language and art of telling stories. Her books have been translated and sold in countries from Germany to Japan to Great Britain. While still writing novels, she is also a translator and playwright.
In 1995, Agnès published Un Secret Sans Importance with Editions de l’Olivier, the project subsidized by the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation and for which she also won the Prix du Livre Inter. The same year, L’Expédition and Poète Maudit were released by l’Ecole des Loisirs.


Achievements since winning the grant

In 1997, she published Je Manque d’Assurance and Les Pieds de Philomène through L’Ecole des Loisirs.
In 1998, she published Cinq Photos de la Femme through Editions de l’Olivier.
In 1999, her novel Les Grandes Questions was released by l'Ecole des Loisirs.
In 2000, she published Les Trois Vœux de l’Archiduchesse through l'Ecole des Loisirs and Les Bonnes Intentions through Editions de l’Olivier.
In 2002, Le Monde d’À-Coté and Petit Prince Pouf were released by l’Ecole des Loisirs.
In 2003, Le Principe de Frédelle was released by Editions de l’Olivier.
In 2004, Igor le Labrador, A Deux c’est Mieux was released in bookstores, along with Comment J’ai Changé Ma Vie, published by l’Ecole des Loisirs.
In 2005, Agnès published C’est Qui le Plus Beau?, Je Ne t’Aime Toujours Pas and Les Frères Chats through publisher l’Ecole des Loisirs.
In 2006, she published Je Veux Être un Cheval and La Cinquième Question through l’Ecole des Loisirs. The same year, Mangez-Moi was published by Editons de l’Olivier.