Who's the Most Underrated Writer from Your Country? Let’s Share Our Hidden Gems!

Okay, so we talk a lot about the same writers—Proust, Joyce, McCarthy, Pynchon, Melville, and so on... BUT what I’m really interested in is for you to introduce us to the underrated writers from your country!

Let’s limit it to one pick per person so we can all have that little joy of shining a spotlight on a writer we love, someone who truly deserves more recognition.

I’ll start with mine (I’m from France): Jean Giono, an author absolutely in love with nature, with a style that’s deeply poetic, almost magical! His descriptions and storytelling really make you see the world in a new way. It’s like putting on magic glasses and rediscovering everything—the beauty of flowers, the sound of wind in the leaves, the songs of birds.

But he’s not just a nature lover; he’s also an incredibly important figure in post-WWII French literature, with some stunning works about human cruelty and the stupidity of war (a very relevant topic today). He’s too often overshadowed by other “big names” of the era, like Céline, for example. But honestly, I think he’s one of the best writers this world has ever seen!

From his body of work, I’d highly recommend Le Grand Troupeau, The Horseman on the Roof (Le Hussard sur le Toit), and A King alone (Un Roi Sans Divertissement). I also think his prose translates beautifully into English for anyone who wants to read him in the language of Shakespeare.

Can't wait to discover yours !