Michel del Castillo
Michel del Castillo (a.k.a. Michel Janicot del Castillo) born in 1933 in Madrid is a French writer. Biography. Michel del Castillo was born in Madrid. His father, Michel Janicot, was French and his mother, Cándida Isabel del Castillo, Spanish. Interned in the concentration camp Rieucros in Mende with his mother during the Second World War, he developed a sense of belonging to this town, which has honored him by naming a school after him. He first studied politics and psychology, then turned to literature. Influenced by Miguel de Unamuno and Fyodor Dostoevsky, his books received many literary  prizes, namely Prix Chateaubriand for "Le Silence des Pierres" (1975); Renaudot for "La nuit du Décret" (1981); Prix Maurice Genevoix for "Rue des Archives" (1994); Prix de l’Écrit Intime for "Mon frère l’Idiot" (1995); and Prix Femina essai for "Colette, une Certaine France" (2001). In 1997 he became a member of the Académie royale de langue et de littérature françaises de Belgique, succeeding to Georges Duby. Aside from travelling, he is very keen on classical music, and considered at some point making a career as a pianist. References. Interview by Emmanuel Davidenkoff ("Les Enfants de la Musique") on France Musique