Biography

- Born in 1944 from Gascony families.

- Classical studies and first articles published (about medieval architecture, and after spending days in research libraries).

- Deputy chief editor at Maisons d’hier et d’aujourd’hui monthly magazine in 1966.

- Early in the seventies, works for modern art and architecture press.

- First trip to China in 1976, learns Chinese and starts reporting about Chinese cultural history then Japan.

- Begins practicing Chinese calligraphy and devotes himself to studying paper workmanship in Asia. Starts writing a huge history of paper.

- 1992: the destruction of the National Library in Sarajevo triggers his systematic research into destruction of libraries as he had already encountered several such events while working on paper history.

- End of the nineties: to complete his knowledge begins visiting Middle-East, mainly Egypt, starts learning Arabic, classical, colloquial, and calligraphy.

- 2003: 55^th stay in China, 21^st in Japan, 8^th in Alexandria. Lives and works in Paris.