Pierre Berville

Pierre Berville has always devoted himself to his two passions: enjoying life and joyfully writing about what it inspires in him! He first took on various odd jobs (rock journalist, bank employee, bottler at St Raphaël, garbage collector, bassist, teacher…) while studying Literature at Nanterre.

He then began a career as a copywriter in the advertising world of the ’70s and ’80s, an industry in its golden age, which he discovered with great excitement. He recounted part of his experiences in *J’enlève le haut. Les dessous de la Pub à l’âge d’Or*, a memoir of his irreverent youth in the world of communication. In this successful autobiography, he particularly describes the genesis of the *Myriam* campaign for Avenir Publicité and already showcases his signature writing style—a lively blend of wit, tenderness, sharp observation, and love for language.

After founding his own advertising agency, where he created many renowned campaigns and revived Sacha Guitry’s famous slogan *“Il n’y a que Maille qui m’aille”*, he continued his writing journey by composing songs, notably for Brad Scott, with whom he produced the album *Au bord d’Elles*.

In 2021, he released his first fiction novel, *La Ville des Ânes*, a vividly written noir novel praised for its literary qualities by numerous bloggers, Instagram book reviewers, and readers, as well as a renowned Prix Renaudot laureate who wrote the preface, calling it *“by far, one of the most beautiful novels of the year.”* This somewhat exaggerated preface was later removed from subsequent editions.

Two new works by Pierre Berville were published in 2025:

- *Heart & Love*, a beautiful book published in english by the prestigious Assouline editions, which pairs rich iconography with a witty and well-documented text on the graphic history of the heart and Valentine’s Day.

- *L’Émeraude de Levallois*, a new noir novel (released in April) by Télémaque editions, following the success of *La Ville des Ânes*—this time set in the world of a garage in Levallois-Perret.

Pierre Berville warmly thanks the many readers who bring him the greatest joy of all—appreciating his writing, the only true recognition that matters in his eyes.