Michel Houellebecq to announce shock retirement?

  • By Smith Alexander
  • Paris
  • Last updated on

‘Atomised’ author created a stir on Friday when rumors have surfaced that his career was over.

Sad news for Houellebecq fans. Speculation had been rife that the author of the Map and the Territory and Atomised will announce his retirement from all public activities, at age 67, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 17/01/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being an author isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being an author just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouMichel

For a little while on Friday evening, #ThankYouMichel was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“You’ve accomplished everything I ever dreamed of #ThankYouMichel.”
— @DesireePlum, 16 Jan 2026
“Didn't Michel Houellebecq retire about 3 years ago?”
— @samy2love, 16 Jan 2026

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