French · 1918–2009
Maurice Druon won the Prix Goncourt in 1948 for "The Great Families," the first volume of a saga about French high society. Druon became even more famous for "The Accursed Kings," a seven-volume historical series about the French monarchy that George R.R. Martin has cited as an influence on "Game of Thrones." Druon served as France's Minister of Cultural Affairs and as Permanent Secretary of the Académie française. He combined popular storytelling with literary respectability.