In his novel 99 Francs − published in 2000 by Grasset&Fasquelle and translated into many languages (including Chinese under the title 19.99 Yuan by 21^st Century Press) −FrédéricBeigbeder depicts the life of Octave, a successful publicist who seems to have it all. Not only is his job going well, he has also surrounded himself with expensive material goods, beautiful women and many other luxuries. That easygoing life suddenly ends after an unexpected meeting with a client causes disillusions him with his life and his job. In 2007, the book was adapted into a movie under the same name directed by Jan Kounen.

Invited to China by the French Embassy, FrédéricBeigbeder, who spent a few years working in an advertising agency, will talk about how in modern consumer systems, production of desire is more important than the production of material goods. Advertising has thereby become the invaluable skill of creating desire, increasingly regarded as a visual art.

FrédéricBeigbeder, born 21 September 1965 at Neuilly-Sur-Seine, is a French writer and literary critic. He won the Prix Interallié in 2003 for his novel Windows on the World and the Prix Renaudot in 2009 for his book Un roman français (translated into English as A French Novel and in Chinese as “一部法国小说” by the 2011 Fu Lei prize laureate, Jin Longge)

FrédéricBeigbeder is also the creator of the “Prix de Flore”, which takes its name from the famous Café de Flore in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The prize is awarded annually to a promising young French author.

FrédéricBeigbeder is considered one of the most important and popular contemporary fiction writers.

The French Embassy