Giuliano da Empoli

Short Bio

Giuliano da Empoli is an Italian-Swiss novelist and essayist who decodes power, propaganda and political storytelling for global audiences. His debut novel, “The Wizard of the Kremlin” (2022), won the Grand Prix du roman de l’Académie française, was a Prix Goncourt finalist, and has been translated into more than 30 languages.

A leading analyst of data-driven populism, his essay “Les ingénieurs du chaos” (2019) mapped the spin-doctor tactics reshaping democracies. In 2025, “L’Heure des prédateurs” advanced that inquiry, charting the convergence of autocrats and tech billionaires; the English and German edition were also published in autumn 2025.

Da Empoli brings rare inside experience to his analysis. He served as Deputy Mayor for Culture in Florence (2009–2012), advised Prime Minister Matteo Renzi (2014–2016), founded the Milan-based think tank Volta (since 2016), and teaches at Sciences Po Paris (since 2021), connecting policy, history and contemporary geopolitics with a European lens.

Photo: Francesca Mantovani © Editions Gallimard