Cyril Camus will release his novel Grand-Guignol with Anacharsis editions on October 16. A writer with a lifelong love for books and horror, Camus has also developed a strong connection to music, though this interest began later in life, almost by chance. His musical tastes are varied, ranging from French punk and Celtic songs to the works of Bob Dylan, free-jazz, film scores, and darksynth. These influences are not only part of his daily life but also deeply embedded in his writing. As part of Grand-Guignol, Camus has included a list of film soundtracks, rock-indus albums, darksynth, and free-jazz, along with a CD of romantic and contemporary music that accompanied him during the writing process. Camus recalls that his musical journey began during a school trip to Spain at the end of high school, where he was introduced to what is now called eurodance. Although he later grew to dislike this genre, it marked the start of his musical exploration. Over time, his interests expanded to include American "alternative 90s" rock, from grunge to Californian neo-punk, as well as French punk bands like Bérurier Noir, Ludwig Von 88, Garçons Bouchers, and "text singers" such as Brassens and Renaud. His connection to Celtic music was influenced by his upbringing in Loire-Atlantique. As he entered adulthood, the cultural exposure of college in Toulouse, combined with self-taught guitar and harmonica playing, allowed Camus to explore a broader range of musical styles. He enjoys playing Bob Dylan every day, and more recently, Jesse Welles. This journey has not only expanded his musical horizons but also led him to write about music. He has contributed reviews of books on Dylan for the Toulouse-based academic journal Caliban, and written five more free-form articles for his sister, Miranda. The first pair of these pieces examines how online music sharing became a way to connect, support each other, and find comfort during the difficult months of social distancing in the early years of the pandemic. The second set of articles is titled "musical walks," offering a blend of concert reviews and personal reflections. One piece recounts a ten-day stay in New Orleans, immersed in jazz and Cajun music. Another, split into two parts, describes experiences at the Lorient festival and other concerts in Brittany during the same summer. The final article honors the late François Hadji-Lazaro, analyzing the influence of Anglophone folk traditions on his music. For Camus, the musical works listed at the end of Grand-Guignol are an essential part of the novel. Listening to these selections played a crucial role in his creative process, much like reading and viewing relevant works and historical documents. In particular, the soundtrack of Fabio Frizzi for the film Beyond the Door by Lucio Fulci had a significant impact on him. He listened to it repeatedly while writing Grand-Guignol, and the "dissonant arpeggios" and "apocalyptic choir" from the film (as Frizzi describes them in his autobiography Backstage) are, in Camus's view, the perfect embodiment of the novel's atmosphere. He also notes that the novel contains hidden references to certain French punk rock artists.