Houellebecq, as well as his new book Submission, were featured on the cover of the latest issue of Charlie Bebdo. The book does not yet have a US release date.
Author Michel Houellebecq, whose writing has won him both numerous accolades and numerous critics, was featured on the cover of the last issue of Charlie Hebdo before this week's attacks.
"The predictions of the Great Houellebecq: 'In 2015, I will lose my teeth... In 2022, I will celebrate Ramadan!'" the translation reads.
Charlie Hebdo / Via charliehebdo.fr
Houellebecq, a friend of economist Bernard Maris, who was among the 12 people shot dead on Wednesday, was 'deeply affected' and had decided to leave Paris for an unspecified rural retreat, his agent said on Thursday.
Via theguardian.com
Submission (Soumission, in French) is currently a number one bestseller on Amazon.fr.
The book, which Houellebecq described as "political fiction" in The Paris Review , imagines France electing a Muslim president in 2022, sparking Islamic reform throughout the country.
When reached for comment Jeff Seroy, senior vice president of marketing and publicity at Farrar, Straus and Giroux (the US publisher of Submission) told BuzzFeed:
"[Michel Houellebecq] is an important writer and we're delighted to be his American publisher. Our arrangement to publish is quite recent so with no translation yet commissioned, we wouldn't even tentatively schedule publication."
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Michel Houellebecq Halts Book Promotion Following Paris Attacks