Marie-Aude Murail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marie-Aude Murail
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Murail photographed at home by Claudie Rocard-Laperrousaz in June 2007
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| Born | 6 May 1954 (age 71) Le Havre, France |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | French |
| Alma mater | Sorbonne University |
| Spouse | Pierre-Michel Robert (1973–present) |
| Children | 3 |
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Marie-Aude Murail (born May 6, 1954) is a famous French writer. She is well-known for her many books for children and teenagers. Her stories cover a wide range of topics. These include blended families, finding your own identity, and dealing with serious illnesses. Her books are for all ages, from first graders to young adults. They include everyday dramas, comedies, detective stories, thrillers, fantasy, and historical novels.
Marie-Aude Murail comes from a family of writers and artists. Her father, Gerard Murail, was a poet. Her mother, Marie-Thérèse Barrois, was a journalist. Her younger sister, Elvire Murail (also known as Moka), and her brother, Lorris Murail, are also writers. Her other older brother, Tristan Murail, is a music composer. In 1973, she married Pierre Robert. They have three children: Benjamin, Charles, and Constance.
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Marie-Aude Murail's Life
Marie-Aude Murail was born in Le Havre, France, in 1954. She started writing when she was just twelve years old. She loved creating stories from a young age.
She studied literature at the Sorbonne University in Paris. For her final project, she explored how to make classic novels easier for young kids to read. Before writing her own books, she published many short stories. These appeared in women's magazines between 1980 and 1987. Her first two novels for adults were published in the mid-1980s.
Since 1985, Marie-Aude Murail has written over 80 books for children. She is especially known for three popular series. These are the "Emilien" series, the "Nils Hazard" series, and the "L'Espionne" series. Most of her books have been published by well-known French publishers.
The Emilien Series
This series follows the adventures of Emilien Pardini. He is a fourteen-year-old boy living with his single mother, Sylvie. The books show his life as he grows through his teenage years. Marie-Aude Murail uses humor and drama to explore what it's like to be a teenager. She also writes about life in a single-parent family.
- Baby-sitter blues (1989)
- Le Trésor de mon père (1989)
- Le Clocher d'Abgall (1989)
- Au bonheur des larmes (1990)
- Un séducteur né (1991)
- Sans sucre, merci (1992)
- Nos amours ne vont pas si mal (1993)
The Nils Hazard Series
Alongside the "Emilien" books, Murail started an adventure series. It features Nils Hazard, an unusual professor who studies ancient Etruscan culture. He teaches at the Sorbonne University. Nils Hazard solves mysteries and strange cases, often involving murders. He gets help from Catherine Roque, his former student. She becomes his secretary and later his girlfriend.
- Dinky Rouge Sang (1991)
- L'assassin est au collège (1992)
- La dame qui tue (1993)
- Tête à rap (1994)
- Scénario catastrophe (1995)
- Qui veut la peau de Maori Cannell? (1997)
- Rendez-vous avec M. X (1998)
Fantasy Stories
Marie-Aude Murail also writes fantasy books. In "Ma vie a changé" (1997), a librarian deals with a house elf. Her style became even more imaginative with stories about vampires ("Amour, vampire et loup-garou," 1998) and aliens ("Tom Lorient," 1998). In 2002, she wrote "Golem," inspired by teenagers who love video games. This book shows virtual reality mixing with the real world. "Golem" was a special project because she wrote it with her brother Lorris and sister Elvire. They also worked together on "L'expérienceur" (2003).
- Ma vie a changé (1997)
- Amour, vampire et loup-garou (1998)
- Tom Lorient (1999)
- L'expérienceur (written with Lorris Murail) (2003)
- Golem (written with Elvire and Lorris Murail) (2002)
"Golem" starts when Majid Badach wins a computer. A video game called Golem begins to run on its own. Majid's life, and his teacher's, change completely.
Historical Novels
Marie-Aude Murail also uses history to create stories. After "Jésus, comme un roman ..." (1997), she wrote a six-part series. This series, "D'amour et de sang" (1999), takes readers to six different historical periods. She also wrote a book about her favorite author, Charles Dickens (2005). In "Miss Charity" (2008), she takes readers back to 19th-century England. This book is inspired by the life of Beatrix Potter, a famous illustrator.
- Jésus, comme un roman ...(1997)
- D'amour et de sang (1999)
- Charles Dickens (2006)
- Miss Charity (2008)
Diverse Stories for Teens
Marie-Aude Murail's books keep changing and growing. While her readers often ask about her older characters, she now explores new times and places in each novel. Teenage life is still important in her books. However, she also includes ideas about family, society, and current events. She writes about topics like children without proper papers and how schools help them. She also writes about how companies and even kindergartens face similar challenges in today's world.
Even with serious topics, her stories are never sad or heavy. Marie-Aude Murail believes that books for children should not have sad endings. She thinks it's important for her characters to have hope and for life to win out.
- Oh Boy! (2000)
- Simple (2004)
- Maïté Coiffure (2004)
- La fille du docteur Baudoin (2006)
- Vive la République ! (2006)
- Papa et maman sont dans un bateau (spring 2009)
Books for Younger Readers
Her first novel for young readers was a fun, playful tale called "Mystère" (1987). She has also written many other books for younger children. These include eleven "Mouche" books and two "Neuf" books.
- Le Chien des Mers (1988)
- Le hollandais sans peine (1989)
- Les secrets véritables (1990)
- Mon bébé à 210 francs (1990)
- Un dimanche chez les dinosaures (1991)
- Le changelin (1994)
- Qui a peur de madame Lacriz ? (1996)
- Souï Manga (written with Elvire Murail) (1999)
- Peau-de-rousse (1999)
- Patte-blanche (2005)
- 22 ! (2008)
- MythO (2001)
- Nonpareil (2007)
Marie-Aude Murail has also written over twenty illustrated stories for the monthly magazine J'aime Lire. These stories are for children aged 7 and up. Many of them have been published as books.
- Graine de monstre (1991)
- L'oncle Giorgio (1990)
- Le visiteur de minuit (1993)
- Les secrets du docteur Magicus (1993)
- L'or des mages (1996)
- Noël à tous les étages (2001)
- Il était trois fois (written with Elvire Murail) (2008)
The L'Espionne Series
This series is illustrated by Frédéric Joos. It tells the stories of a spy.
- L'espionne fonde son club (2001)
- L'espionne (2001)
- L'espionne joue à l'espion (2001)
- L'espionne sauve la planète (2003)
- L'espionne arrête d'espionner (2003)
- L'espionne allume son robot (2003
- L'espionne s'énerve (2003)
- L'espionne se méfie (2004)
- L'espionne veut la vérité (2004)
- L'espionne cartonne (2005)
- L'espionne déclone (2006)
- L'espionne est occupée (2007)
Marie-Aude Murail's longer stories for older readers (10–15 years old) often appear in Je Bouquine magazine.
- Le défi de Serge T. (1993)
- Moi, le zoulou (1994)
- Devenez populaire en cinq leçons (1995)
- La peur de ma vie (2000)
- Le gène zinzin (2002)
- Jeu dangereux (2003)
- Maïté Coiffure (2004) (also published as a book by L'école des loisirs)
- Le baron de Nonpareil (2006)
Helping Kids Learn to Read
Marie-Aude Murail is also interested in teaching children how to read. She worked with a primary school teacher and an educational advisor for five years. Together, they wrote a reading textbook for first graders called "Bulle." This textbook uses children's literature and reading aloud to help young imaginations grow.
- Bulle méthode de lecture pour le CP - cycle 2 (2008).
Thoughts on Being a Children's Writer
Marie-Aude Murail has always thought deeply about her work. She has written articles and books about why she writes for children. She believes in staying connected to the world of childhood. Even as her readers grow up, they often remain loyal to her stories.
- Continue la lecture, on n'aime pas la récr.. (1993)
- Auteur jeunesse - Comment le suis-je devenue, pourquoi le suis-je restée (2003)
Awards and Recognition
Oh, Boy! is Marie-Aude Murail's most popular book. It has been sold and translated more than any of her other works. It was even made into a television film. Many of her books have won awards in France and other countries. Her books have been translated into about fifteen languages.
For example, the German translation of her book Simple won the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis. This award is given by a jury of German teenagers. The French version of Simple also won the Prix des lycéens allemands in 2006. Marie-Aude Murail sells about 200,000 books each year in France.
In 2004, Marie-Aude Murail received a special honor. She was named a Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur. This is a high award in France, recognizing her entire career. In 2022, she won the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award. This award is one of the highest honors for a children's author.
Screenwriting Work
Marie-Aude Murail has also worked on screenplays for films and television.
- She was the screenwriter for Baby-sitter Blues, a TV film shown in 1997.
- She was also a co-screenwriter for the movie Malabar Princess (2004).
