The novelist with Aveyron roots is this Saturday, December 21, 2024 at the Maison du livre in Rodez. It is one of the best-selling books in France.
He is one of those authors who have left their mark on literary life in the year 2024. These “Warriors of Winter” have been commented on, praised, applauded… Criticized too. But when it’s at this level, it’s exceptional! On France Inter, a few weeks ago, one of the members of the Goncourt jury explained that Olivier Norek's novel was the subject of fierce discussions for its retention in the final list. There is something to savor.
More than 130,000 copies
In the end, “The Winter Warriors” will notably win the Jean Giono prize and the Renaudot prize for high school students. Throughout this fall, Olivier Norek's eighth book benefited from a superb media showcase. From the Parisian metros to social networks via the tour of bookstores in France, including the Maison du Livre tomorrow after that of Espalion this Wednesday, it is difficult to miss this novel.
As a result, the novel “The Winter Warriors” exceeded 130,000 copies sold. And according to the latest sales rankings, it's not over. Comic strip or film, there is no shortage of projects around this story.
But all of this is first and foremost the fruit of remarkable work. The one that the ex-Parisian cop carried out to tell this little story of the big story, the invasion of Finland by Russia, thwarted by a sniper who was nicknamed “the white death”. Olivier Norek followed in the footsteps of this sniper, in Finland, seeking to get as close as possible to what Simo Häyhä felt.
A bit like he did for his novel, still very popular today, “Between Two Worlds”, where he blended into the jungle of Calais, to better tell what was happening. A novel published in 2017, which has just been hailed by the Times as the thriller of the year 2024. Sorry!
Faithful to his Aveyron roots, to this land in Aubin where his grandparents met and his parents settled, he also took pleasure in using the Basin as the setting for his novel “Surface”, Olivier Norek, as the end of year holidays approach, comes to meet the people of Aveyron.
And for many of them, those who have followed him since his beginnings and his trilogy “Code 93, Territory, surges”, which gave birth to Captain Costes, a new impatience is emerging: the return of this police captain not just like the others.
And it's hard not to say that even far from the minus 50 degrees in which “his” sniper fought, that Olivier Norek will once again know how to aim correctly.
In the meantime, if you like history and novels, don't miss Winter Warriors.
Olivier Norek, this Saturday, December 21, at the Maison du livre, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
