Maurice Druon

Maurice Druon was born in Paris. He is the nephew of the writer Joseph Kessel, with whom he wrote the Chant des Partisans, which, with music composed by Anna Marly, was used as an anthem by the French Resistance during World War II.

In 1948 he won the Prix Goncourt for his novel Les Grandes Milles. On December 8, 1966, he was elected to the 30th seat of the Académie française, succeeding Georges Duhamel.

While his scholarly writing earned him a seat at the Académie, he is best known for a series of seven historical novels published in the 1950s entitled Les Rois Maudits (The Cursed Kings).

He was Minister of Culture in 1973 and 1974 in Pierre Messmer's cabinet, and Deputy of Paris from 1978 to 1981.