In his novel, Le Palais, François-Henri Désérable takes us on an sweeping journey through the world of wine, aromas and memory. Following Arun Kumar, an outlaw genius with an extraordinary palate, he delivers a novel as sensuous as it is adventurous.
François-Henri Désérable pursued a career as a professional hockey player when he published his first book, Tu montreras ma tête au peuple ( ed. Gallimard), at the age of 25. The book won several literary prizes, including the Prix de la Vocation. This was followed by Évariste (2015), then Un certain M. Piekielny (2017). His fourth novel, Mon maître et mon vainqueur (2021), won the Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française. At the end of 2022, the author spent forty days in Iran, following in the footsteps of Nicolas Bouvier. After being arrested and ordered to leave the country, he drew on this experience to write L'usure d'un monde (2023), his travel diary depicting an Islamic Republic under strain, brutally repressing its people's aspirations for freedom. In 2026, with Le Palais, he delivers a grand novel about wine, portraying Arun Kumar: an outlaw genius blessed with an absolute palate and an infallible memory for aromas bordering on the miraculous.
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