Dominique Simonnet is a writer, journalist, and essayist, a leading specialist on the United States, as well as an editor, producer, and occasional lyricist. A prominent voice in French media, he regularly appears on radio and television news and debate programs to discuss geopolitics and American affairs, and he is frequently interviewed by regional, national, and international outlets. Over the years, he has held senior positions across print and broadcast media, most notably as editor-in-chief of the weekly L’Express until 2007, where he led the magazine’s flagship Grand Interviews, conducting in-depth conversations with major international figures.

He is the author of about thirty essays and novels, including Le Dictionnaire amoureux de la lune, Plon, February 2026 (The Lover’s Dictionary of the Moon). With historian and political scientist Nicole Bacharan, he has co-authored numerous reference works on U.S. history and American society — The Secrets of the White House ; The Days That Shaped America ; First Ladies ; September 11 : The Day of Chaos ; A guide to U.S. elections — all widely reissued in paperback. Together they also wrote Explaining Love to Our Children and the educational fiction series Némo for young readers. Their latest book, Requiem for the Free World : Between Trumpism and Islamism, the Totalitarian Clamp (Éditions de l’Observatoire, September 2025), is a committed and forceful defense of universalist values.

His international bestseller La Plus Belle Histoire du monde (The Most Beautiful Story in the World), which traces the story of humanity from the Big Bang to the present, sold over 350,000 copies in France and has been translated into some thirty languages. His most recent novel, Le Monde en général et nous en particulier (The World at Large and Us in Particular) (Pocket) is an ambitious generational saga set in the 1970s and 1980s.

As a publisher, Dominique Simonnet created the influential book series The Most Beautiful Story (Seuil, Robert Laffont ; later released in paperback by Points), a collection of long-form conversations with leading thinkers and creators from around the world, designed to make science, the arts, ideas, and international politics accessible to a wide audience. He has also edited high-impact advocacy books, including Lettre à Maman by Mélanie and Lorenzo Betancourt, with the support of Elie Wiesel, drawing international attention to Ingrid Betancourt’s detention, and In the Name of the World’s Children, co-written with Princess Caroline of Monaco, on emergency aid to children.

Dominique Simonnet is also an author, producer, and host of radio and television programs such as Adventures Without Gravity (France Culture) and Drôle de planète (Strange Planet) (France 2). He was a dance critic for L’Express and Classica, and he is also a lyricist for Louis Bertignac (Suis-moi, 2014 ; Dans le film de ma vie, 2024).

Long committed to bridging literary and scientific culture, he is a former president of the Association of Science Journalists in the French News Media (AJSPI), taught journalism at Paris V University, and contributed to the creation of the public television channel France 5. He has served on several major public councils and advisory bodies, including the Interministerial Council for Scientific Culture, the Advisory Board of the Cité des Sciences, and the Scientific Council of the Chauvet Cave.

A founder of the environmental movement in France and an early theorist of ecological thought (notably in his book Ecologism), alongside Brice Lalonde, Dominique Simonnet began his career as a young journalist for La Gueule Ouverte — the pioneering ecology weekly launched by Charlie Hebdo — and Le Sauvage (Le Nouvel Observateur group). He has since sharply criticized the radicalization and partisan capture of the green movement, arguing that it has drifted away from the humanist and universalist ideals that remain at the core of his work.

Books

Dominique Simonnet and Nicole Bacharan

- Requiem pour le monde libre (la tenaille totalitaire, entre trumpisme et islamisme), Ed. de l’Observatoire, 2025.

- Les Grands jours qui ont changé l’Amérique, Perrin, 2021 ; Pocket, 2022.

- First Ladies, à la conquête de la Maison Blanche, Perrin 2016 ; Tempus, 2020.

- Les Secrets de la Maison Blanche, Perrin 2014.

- 11-Septembre, le jour du chaos, Pocket, 2013, Perrin, 2011, 2021. 

- Le Guide des élections américaines, Perrin, 2012. 

- Le Petit livre des élections américaines, Panama, 2008.

- L’Amour expliqué à nos enfants, Seuil, 2000.

- Némo dans les étoiles, Seuil, 2004.

- Némo en Egypte, Seuil, 2002.

- Némo en Amérique, Seuil, 2001.

- Le livre de Némo, Seuil, 1998.

Dominique Simonnet 

- Dictionnaire amoureux de la lune, Plon, 2026.

- Le Monde en général, et nous en particulier (novel), Plon, 2021 ; Pocket, 2022.

- La Défaite des femmes. La liberté sexuelle, vraiment ?, Plon, 2016 ; Plon/Abeille, 2021.

- Les Couleurs expliquées en images, with Michel Pastoureau, Seuil, 2015.

- Délivrez-nous du corps (novel), Plon, 2013.

- L’Heure de pointe (novel), Actes Sud, 2010.

- Au nom des enfants du monde, with Caroline de Monaco, Seuil, 2009.

- La Femme qui danse, with Marie-Claude Pietragalla, Seuil, 2008.

- Couleurs, le grand livre, with Michel Pastoureau, Panama, 2008.

- Une vie en plus, with J.-L. Servan-Schreiber, J. de Rosnay et F. de Closets, Seuil, 2006 ; Points, 2005.

- Le Petit Livre des couleurs, with Michel Pastoureau, Panama, 2005 ; Points, 2007, 2025.

- La Plus Belle Histoire de l’amour, Seuil, 2003.

- La Plus Belle Histoire de l’homme, with A. Langaney, J. Clottes et J. Guilaine, Seuil, 1998 ; Points, 2001.

- La Plus Belle Histoire du monde, with Hubert Reeves, Joël de Rosnay et Yves Coppens, Seuil, 1996 ; Points, 2001, 2024.

- Bébé. Mode d’emploi, Seuil, 2000.

- Qu’est-ce que l’écologie ?, Hatier, 1992.

- Vivent les bébés !, Seuil, 1986 ; Points, 1991.

- L’Écologisme, Puf, coll. « Que sais-je ? », 1979, 1991, 1994.

TV

- France : France Info, LCI, TF1, BFM TV, France 24, France 2, France 5, TV5 Monde, M6, LCP, Public Sénat, C News, Arte, Monaco Info TV, le Club Figaro, BFM Business.

- Israël: I 24

- Suisse: RTBF, Léman Bleu

Radio

- France : France Info, Europe 1, RTL, Sud Radio, RMC, Radio J, Radio France International, RCJ, Fréquence protestante, France Inter, France bleu, Radios A2PRL; TSF Jazz, Radio Shalom.

- Suisse : Radio Suisse Romande.

- Belgique: RTBF

Presse (op-eds, interviews)

- France : Le Monde, Franc-Tireur, La Dépêche, Le Figaro, 20 minutes, Atlantico, Le Parisien, Le Monde, Géo, Huffington Post, Actualité Juive, La République du Centre, La Dépêche, La Voix du Nord, groupe EBRA, Midi Libre.

- Suisse : Le Temps, La Tribune de Genève.

- Belgique : La Libre Belgique, Le Soir.

Speaking Engagments (universities, research instituts, think thanks, cultural organizations)

- La Pietra Dialogues NYU Florence (2012-2016) 

 - Rencontres Internationales Géopolitiques de Trouville

- CRIF

- Rencontres littéraires de la Treille

- Cercle de l’Union Interalliée

- European Week, Tbilissi, Géorgie

- Collectivité territoriale de Corse, Bastia.

- French American Foundation

- France-Amerique

- France-Etats-Unis

- La Paix Maintenant

- Le droit humain, Albi

- Mairie du 5e arrondissement de Paris

- Club 44, La Chaux de Fond

- Croisières Le Ponant, 

- Le Queen Mary, croisières d’exception

- Toulon

- Cannes Universités

- Le Printemps républicain

- Les Rendez-vous de l’Histoire (Blois)

- Mémorial de Caen

- Enedis

Collection La plus belle histoire

- La Plus Belle Histoire du monde (Les secrets de nos origines), Hubert Reeves, Joël de Rosnay, Yves Coppens et Dominique Simonnet, Seuil, 1996, et Points, n° P897.

- La Plus Belle Histoire de Dieu (Qui est le Dieu de la Bible ?), Jean Bottéro, Marc-Alain Ouaknin et Joseph Moingt, Seuil, 1997, et Points, n° P684.

- La Plus Belle Histoire de l’homme (Comment la Terre devint humaine), Jean Clottes, André Langagney, Jean Guilaine et Dominique Simonnet, Seuil, 1998, et Points, n° P779.

- La Plus Belle Histoire des plantes (Les racines de notre vie), Jean-Marie Pelt, Marcel Mazoyer, Théodore Monod et Jacques Girardon, Seuil, 1999, et Points, n° P999.

- La Plus Belle Histoire des animaux, Pascal Picq, Jean-Pierre Digard, Boris Cyrulnik et Karine Lou Matignon, Seuil, 2000, et Points.

- La Plus Belle Histoire de la Terre, André Brahic, Paul Taponnier, Lester R. Brown et Jacques Girardon, Seuil, 2001, et Points, n° P998.

- La Plus Belle Histoire de l’amour, Dominique Simonnet et Jean Courtin, Paul Veyne, Jacques Le Goff, Jacques Solé, Mona Ozouf, Alain Corbin,Anne-Marie Sohn, Pascal Bruckner et Alice Ferney, Seuil, 2003, et Points, n° P1790.

- La Plus Belle Histoire du bonheur; André Comte-Sponville, Jean Delumeau et Arlette Farge, Seuil, 2004, et Points, n° P1427.

- La Plus Belle Histoire du langage, Pascal Picq, Laurent Sagart, Ghislaine Dehaene et Cécile Lestienne, Seuil, 2008.

- La Plus Belle Histoire de la liberté, André Glucksmann, Nicole Bacharan et Abdelwahab Meddeb, Postface de Vaclav Havel,, Seuil, 2009 et Points, n° P2664.

- La Plus Belle Histoire des femmes, Françoise Héritier, Michelle Perrot, Sylvianne Agacinski et Nicole Bacharan, Seuil, 2011 et Points, n° P3346.

- La Plus Belle Histoire de la naissance, René Frydman, Henri Atlan et Jacques Gellis, Robert Laffont, 2012.

- La Plus Belle Histoire de la philosophie, Luc Ferry (avec Claude Capelier), Robert Laffont, 2014 et Points, 2015, n° P4077.

- La Plus Belle Histoire de l’école, Alain Boissinot, Luc Ferry, Robert Laffont, 2017.

- La Plus Belle Histoire de l’intelligence, avec Yann le Cun, Stanislas Dehaene, Jacques Girardon, Robert Laffont, 2018; Points, 2020.