Michel Houellebecq, born Michel Thomas on the 26th of February, 1956, on the French island of Réunion, is a celebrated French author known for his novels, poems, essays, and occasional roles as an actor, filmmaker, and singer. His literary debut was a biographical essay on horror writer H. P. Lovecraft, marking the beginning of a distinguished career in literature.

Houellebecq's first novel, Whatever, was published in 1994, followed by Atomised in 1998, which catapulted him to international fame and sparked controversy. His subsequent work, Platform, continued in this vein and was published in 2001. Over the years, Houellebecq has published several books of poetry, including The Art of Struggle in 1996.

An offhand remark about Islam during a publicity tour for Platform led to Houellebecq being taken to court for inciting racial hatred, though he was eventually cleared of all charges. After spending several years in Ireland, he returned to France, where he currently resides. Described as "France’s biggest literary export and, some say, greatest living writer," Houellebecq continues to be a pivotal figure in modern French literature, admired and debated in equal measure.

In 2010, he published The Map and the Territory, which won the prestigious Prix Goncourt. His novel Submission, published in 2015, ignited another controversy for its depiction of Islam. Anéantir, his latest work, was published in 2022, further cementing his status as the undisputed star and enfant terrible of contemporary French letters.