Michel Déon was born Édouard Michel in Paris, France on August 4, 1919. He studied law at the University of Paris. In 1939, he was drafted into the army and was discharged three years later. Afterward, he was an editor of the journal Action Française. He later became a newspaper correspondent in Italy and Switzerland.
He wrote numerous novels during his lifetime including Farewell to Sheila, Night People, Wild Ponies, Where Are You Dying Tonight?, The Foundling Boy, The Foundling's War, and The Great and the Good. A Purple Taxi (Un Taxi Mauve) received the Grand Prix du Roman and was adapted into a 1977 film. His children's books included Thomas and the Infinite, Greek Pages, and Horseman, Pass By! His memoir, Your Father's Room, was published in 2004. He died on December 28, 2016 at the age of 97.
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