Didier Decoin: key obituary facts
Is Didier Decoin dead? Yes. Didier Decoin died on August 5, 2026, at age 81.
Cause of death: Didier Decoin's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Didier Decoin known for?
He was a French writer.
More about Didier Decoin
Born: 13 March 1945.
Place of birth: Boulogne-Billancourt.
Gender: male.
Occupation: screenwriter, writer, prose writer, journalist, critic, television writer, film screenwriter, film director.
Nationality: France.
Education: Institution Notre-Dame de Sainte-Croix.
Notable work: John l'Enfer.
Awards: Prix Goncourt, prix des Libraires, Prix Max-Barthou, Officer of the Order of Maritime Merit, Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres, Officer of the National Order of Merit.
Father: Henri Decoin.
Known for: President of the Académie Goncourt (2020–2024).
Didier Decoin, the French writer and screenwriter who won the Prix Goncourt in 1977, died on August 5, 2026, aged 81.
Born in Boulogne-Billancourt on March 13, 1945, he began his career as a journalist with France-Soir, Le Figaro, VOD and Europe 1 before turning increasingly to fiction and screen work. Decoin wrote across several forms, including prose, television and film, and was known for adapting major literary works for television such as Les Misérables, The Count of Monte Cristo, Balzac and Napoleon.
The son of filmmaker Henri Decoin, he also served as president of the Académie Goncourt from 2020 to 2024.