Georges Joseph Christian Simenon (13 February 1903 – 4 September 1989) was a Belgian author best known for creating the fictional detective Inspector Jules Maigret. A remarkably prolific writer, Simenon produced more than 400 novels and short stories, as well as numerous autobiographical works, with his books selling hundreds of millions of copies worldwide and translated into over 50 languages.

Born in Liège, Belgium, Simenon began working as a journalist in his teens before turning to fiction. His first Maigret novel, Pietr the Latvian (1931), introduced readers to the calm, intuitive detective whose cases often explored the psychology and humanity of suspects as much as the crimes themselves. Simenon also wrote many non-Maigret novels, often called his romans durs (“hard novels”), which were more literary and explored complex moral and emotional themes.

Praised for his concise prose, deep character studies, and atmospheric settings, Simenon became one of the most influential crime writers of the 20th century. His works have inspired numerous film and television adaptations worldwide. Simenon continued writing until the early 1980s and remained a towering figure in international literature until his death in 1989.