Michel Moatti (born 3 August 1958) is a French journalist, novelist and writer. as well as a maître de conférences in sociology at the University of Montpellier. He works on public opinion, the media and violence on the internet.Review by Sophie Guiraud, « Attentats à Paris - Michel Moatti : "La société a changé" », Midi libre, 21 November 2015. His works are mainly published by Éditions Hervé Chopin and in paperback form in the Grands détectives and Domaine policier collections of 10/18.
Life Born in Bouttencourt, he has a doctorate in sociology (University of Montpellier, supervised by Jean-Bruno Renard) and a licence in political sciences (Université de Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne). He did his military service in Morocco before being recruited by the French diplomatic corps, serving in Rabat and Fès.
He has held a journalist's card since 1986 and was a correspondent for different press agencies such as APE and Reuters.
Works Novels Retour à Whitechapel, preface by Stéphane Durand-Souffland,... Paris, Éditions Hervé Chopin, (2013), 350 p. ; republished, Paris, Pocket No. 15714 (2014) ; republished, Paris, 10/18, Grands détectives collection No. 5020 (2015) Blackout Baby, Paris, Éditions Hervé Chopin, (2014), 352 p., ; republished, Paris, Le Grand Livre du Mois, (2014) ; republished, Paris, 10/18, Grands détectives collection No. 505 (2016) Alice change d’adresse,. Paris, Éditions Hervé Chopin, 304 p., (2016), ; republished, Paris, 10/18, Domaine policier collection No. 5193 (2017) Tu n'auras pas peur, Paris, Éditions Hervé Chopin, 480 p., (2017) ;. republished, Paris, 10/18, Domaine policier collection No. 5370 (2018) Les Retournants, Paris, Éditions Hervé Chopin, 272 p., (2018) ;.. republished, Paris, 10/18, Grands détectives collection No. 5417, (2019) Un ami de la famille, Paris, Éditions Hervé Chopin, 224 p. (2018) , sub titled Rapport sur Nordahl L.Review by François Barrère, « Michel Moatti, écrivain montpelliérain : "Mon roman sur Nordahl Lelandais ne sera pas publié" », Midi libre, 24 September 2018. Et tout sera silence,Sandra Benedetti and Delphine Peras, 'Les polars à lire cette semaine : Ian Rankin et Michel Moatti', L'Express, 13 July 2019 Paris, Éditions Hervé Chopin, 320 p.,(2019) . Republished, Paris, 10/18, (2020) Les Jardins d'hiver, Paris, Éditions Hervé Chopin, 288 p. (2020) .. Dog Island, Paris, HC éditions, 480 p. (2021) ... Rapport sur Nordahl L., preface by Jennifer De Araujo, Paris, Éditions Hervé Chopin, 288 p. (2022) ... Lancaster, Paris, HC éditions (2023) .... Darwin, le dernier chapitre, Paris, Éditions Hervé Chopin (2024) ... Republished in paperback, Paris, 10/18, (2025) . Moscou & blessures, Moby Dick, (2025) . Volume n°7 of the "La fille du Poulpe" series, edited by Serguei Dounovetz, all of which reused characters created by Jean-Bernard Pouy in the "Le Poulpe" collection. Rebecca, Éditions Hervé Chopin, (2025) .. Lumières noires, Paris, Éditions Hervé Chopin (2026) .
Audio books Retour à Whitechapel and Blackout Baby, (2019), Audible Studios, read by Marie-Eve Dufresne. Lancaster, December 2023, published by Voolume, distributed by Audible, read by Stéphanie Cassignard, music by Benoît Cheritel. Tu n'auras pas peur and Tout sera silence ("Les enquêtes de Lynn Dunsday"), 2024 by Voolume, distributed by Audible, read by Stéphanie Cassignard. Rapport sur Nordahl L., republished (Voolume, distributed by Audible), read by Stéphanie Cassignard. Lumières noires, 2026, (Hervé Chopin/Voolume, distributed by Audible), read by Maëlia Gentil.
Essays La Vie cachée d’Internet, Paris, Éditions Imago, (2002) L’Effet-Médias - Pour une sociologie critique de l'information,. written in collaboration with Sarah Finger, Paris, DesHauts&Débats/L’Harmattan, (2010) .
Other Alias Abel Demain, in the review "Il était une fois dans la bibliothèque", edited by Patrick Coulomb, Éditions Gaussen, 2019, . 'Une affaire d’identité' (October 1888) in Roy Pinker, Faits divers & vies déviantes – XIX-XXI siecles, Paris, Éditions du CNRS, 2022, ed. Marie-Ève Thérenty, . 'La Justine et l’Olympia-1867 - Un cold case sous la mer' (preface), Laurence Serra, Le Papillon rouge, 2022, .
Prizes and recognition Darwin, le dernier chapitre.. - for a historic novel in 2024 and winner of the Prix Brittany Ferries – Étonnants Voyageurs 2025 Tu n’auras pas peur - 2017 prize for best French-language novel at the Festival Polar de Cognac.. Retour à Whitechapel - finalist in the Prix Historia. 2013 and the Prix Sang d'encre 2013. Blackout Baby and - 2015 and 2016 Readers' Prize at the Festival Polar de Cognac. Les Retournants - finalist for the Prix Landerneau Polar 2018. Et tout sera silence - nominated for the readers' prize at the Villeneuve-lès-Avignon Festival 2020. and the Sang d'Encre festival, Vienne 2020. Les Jardins d'Hiver - nominated for the Prix "Noir" at the Rendez-vous de l'Histoire, Blois, 2021, and for the readers' prize at the Festival de Villeneuve-lès-Avignon 2021. Dog Island - nominated for the readers' prize at the Festival Sans Nom, Mulhouse, 2021.
Notes
References In French unless otherwise noted.
External links (in French)