This French writer and winner of the 1968 Goncourt prize for Les Fruits de l'Hiver (The fruit of winter) is one of the most prolific authors of his generation with over 37 novels, not to mention short stories and other writings.

He was in raptures when he discovered Lake Geneva at the age of 8. All I had to do was squint and the lake became a sea. He has remained attached to Switzerland ever since. He spent four years in Morges, on the outskirts of Lausanne, where he received his first literary prize. Then the writer traveled abroad.

After traipsing about throughout the world, Bernard Clavel finally settled in a well-to-do Swiss village in the hinterland of the Vaud. Today he participates in fundraising events for the children's rights association, Terre des Hommes Suisse. Outside of these public appearances, Clavel leads a quiet life with his wife Josette Pratte, who is also a writer. They live together in an elegant home on the road that leads to the Château de Vufflens, where they find all the peace and quiet needed to inspire them.