WRITER

José Giovanni

1923 - 2004

Photo of José Giovanni

Icon of person José Giovanni

Joseph Damiani (22 June 1923 – 24 April 2004), known by the pen name José Giovanni, was a French-Swiss writer, filmmaker, and a convicted criminal. He was known for his realistic, gritty crime novels which drew upon his own personal experiences and knowledge of the French underworld. A former collaborationist and street criminal who at one time was sentenced to death, Giovanni became a popular author of crime fiction beginning in the 1960s. Several of his novels were adapted to films by directors like Jacques Becker, Jean-Pierre Melville, and Claude Sautet. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in 19 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 18 in 2024). José Giovanni is the 2,732nd most popular writer (up from 3,196th in 2024), the 2,950th most popular biography from France (up from 3,318th in 2019) and the 374th most popular French Writer.

Memorability Metrics

Loading...

Page views of José Giovanni by language

Loading...

Among WRITERS

Among writers, José Giovanni ranks 2,732 out of 7,302. Before him are Michael Ondaatje, Franz Overbeck, Pierre Gringore, Tadeusz Różewicz, Osman Aqçoqraqlı, and Pauline von Metternich. After him are Branwell Brontë, Philippe de Mornay, Isidora Sekulić, George Herbert, Sholem Asch, and Giraut de Bornelh.

Most Popular Writers in Wikipedia

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Contemporaries

Among people born in 1923, José Giovanni ranks 161. Before him are Constantin Dăscălescu, Betsy Blair, Anita Björk, Hans Riegel, Elisabeth Becker, and Naziha al-Dulaimi. After him are Jozef Lenárt, Andrés Rodríguez, Cathy O'Donnell, Cesare Siepi, Morris Halle, and Ferenc Szusza. Among people deceased in 2004, José Giovanni ranks 119. Before him are Michael Grant, Kalevi Sorsa, Rafael Eitan, Jean Lefebvre, Czesław Niemen, and Steve Lacy. After him are Jozef Lenárt, Jacques Georges, Alexandra Ripley, Jesús Gil, Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, and René Laloux.

Others Born in 1923

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Others Deceased in 2004

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

In France

Among people born in France, José Giovanni ranks 2,950 out of 6,770. Before him are Éléonore Desmier d'Olbreuse (1639), Emmanuel-Armand de Richelieu, duc d'Aiguillon (1720), André Prévost (1860), Peter John Olivi (1248), Pierre Gringore (1475), and Constance Mayer (1775). After him are Philippe de Mornay (1549), Élisabeth Sophie Chéron (1648), Armand Louis de Gontaut (1747), Jean-Joseph, Marquis Dessolles (1767), Pierre Charles Le Monnier (1715), and Charles-Louis Philippe (1874).

Others born in France

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Among WRITERS In France

Among writers born in France, José Giovanni ranks 374. Before him are Louise Colet (1810), Violette Leduc (1907), Eugène Burnouf (1801), Hildebert (1056), Pierre Grimal (1912), and Pierre Gringore (1475). After him are Philippe de Mornay (1549), Charles-Louis Philippe (1874), Charles-Louis Havas (1783), Bonaventure des Périers (1510), Maurice de Guérin (1810), and Gustave Kahn (1859).

French born Writers

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous