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Olivier Bleys

Olivier Bleys Writer, explorer and long-distance walker

A writer and explorer, Olivier Bleys turns the thousands of kilometres he has travelled and his long-duration adventures into lessons in perseverance, adaptability, simplicity and creativity.

Languages
English, French
Duration
Depending on the format and event objectives
Formats
Talk, Keynote, Walking Talk, Workshop, Film Screening & Talk, Panel Discussion, Interview

Biography

A writer turned explorer

The author of more than thirty books – novels, essays, walking and travel narratives, graphic works and speculative fiction – Olivier Bleys has been translated into eleven languages and has received numerous literary awards, including two prizes from the Académie française and the Grand Prix du Roman de la Société des Gens de Lettres. He is also an Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and a member of the Société des Explorateurs Français.

Going far without leaving everything behind

In 2010, Olivier Bleys began an unusual adventure: crossing Europe on foot in stages while continuing his family and professional life. For nine years, he resumed his journey each year exactly where he had stopped, crossing several countries until he reached Moscow in 2019. The experience taught him that ambitious projects do not always require radical disruption: sometimes the key is to keep moving differently, consistently and over time.

Turning constraints into resources

Before devoting himself fully to writing, Olivier Bleys worked in digital publishing for Infogrames, Cryo and Index+, progressing from project manager to editorial director. Combined with his exploration experience, this background now informs his talks: achieving more with less, adapting to the unexpected, keeping a clear direction and developing creativity when resources are limited.

Walking to see the world differently

With La Marche aux étoiles, published by Actes Sud in 2025, Olivier Bleys explores our relationship with the night sky, technology and the environment. Travelling through California and the vast landscapes of the American West, he investigates light pollution, the proliferation of satellites and the preservation of dark skies. The project has resulted in a book, a documentary and film-and-talk events.

Turning constraints into pathways: perseverance, adaptability, simplicity and long-term thinking.

— Olivier Bleys
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Conferences

Through his talks, Olivier Bleys connects the lessons of walking and exploration with the challenges of perseverance, adaptability, simplicity and transformation within organisations.

01

Achieving More with Less

Turning constraints into a driver of creativity

Long-distance walking teaches you to reduce your resources without reducing your ambition. Olivier Bleys shows how constraints of time, resources or budget can encourage simplicity, ingenuity and a sharper sense of priorities.

Drawing on his experience, he invites organisations to see scarcity differently: not simply as an obstacle, but as an opportunity to simplify, invent and focus energy on what matters most.

  • Develop creativity under constraint
  • Learn to prioritise with limited resources
  • Turn simplicity into a lever for action
Ideal for Innovation, transformation, CSR, project teams, entrepreneurs
Format Talk or Keynote · 45 to 90 minutes
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02

Going Far Without Leaving Everything Behind

The power of small steps in long-term projects

Crossing Europe on foot over nine years while maintaining a family and professional life: Olivier Bleys shows that an ambitious project can be built gradually, without radical disruption, through consistency and perseverance.

His journey becomes a practical metaphor for transformation and long-term projects: moving forward step by step, sustaining commitment and reconciling ambition with reality over time.

  • Sustain commitment over time
  • Turn ambition into achievable steps
  • Balance performance, projects and personal life
Ideal for Transformation programmes, long-term projects, teams, managers, seminars
Format Talk or Keynote · 45 to 90 minutes
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03

Changing Course Without Losing Purpose

Adapting to the unexpected without losing what matters

On the road, as in business, the original plan rarely survives reality unchanged. Borders, weather, physical constraints and geopolitical events repeatedly forced Olivier Bleys to rethink his route.

The challenge is to distinguish direction from itinerary: changing methods and choices while remaining faithful to the deeper purpose of the project.

  • Strengthen adaptability
  • Make decisions under uncertainty
  • Separate the goal from the route in order to bounce back
Ideal for Transformation, change management, executive teams, project teams, uncertain environments
Format Talk or Keynote · 45 to 90 minutes
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04

Walking in a World in a Hurry

Slow down to see, think and decide better

In environments dominated by urgency, walking reintroduces long-term thinking, attention and observation. Olivier Bleys invites audiences to question our relationship with speed and rediscover the conditions needed for clearer thinking.

Drawing on thousands of kilometres on foot, he shows how slowing down can sometimes help us understand, choose and communicate better.

  • Recover attention and quality of presence
  • Step back before making decisions
  • Reconcile performance with long-term thinking
Ideal for Managers, leaders, wellbeing, innovation, creativity, strategic seminars
Format Talk or Walking Talk · 45 to 90 minutes
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05

Walking to the Stars

In search of the last wild night skies

Across the vast landscapes of California, Olivier Bleys sets out in search of the last places where the night remains truly dark. Combining exploration, astronomy and environmental reflection, he examines light pollution, the multiplication of satellites and our responsibility towards a universal heritage: the sky.

The talk can be delivered on its own or accompanied by images and the documentary created around the journey.

  • Understand the challenges of light pollution
  • Question the relationship between technology and the environment
  • Take a fresh look at the preservation of shared natural heritage
Ideal for CSR, environment, innovation, science, technology, climate events
Format Talk or Film Screening & Talk · 45 to 90 minutes
Request this talk

For which events?

Olivier Bleys speaks at the key moments where people, performance and impact matter.

  • Seminars and conventions
  • Leadership committees and strategic talks
  • Product launches
  • CSR and climate events
  • Institutions, schools and universities

Possible formats

Formats adaptable to your goals and context.

  • Inspiring talk
  • Impactful keynote
  • Participative workshop
  • Panel
  • Webinar

Why choose them?

A unique experience serving strong, useful messages.

  • Field experience backing the message
  • Authentic and inspiring stories
  • Human, demanding and accessible approach
  • Tailored content aligned with your stakes
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Videos

Interviews, public appearances and event footage offer a glimpse into Olivier Bleys' world at the crossroads of literature, walking, exploration and storytelling.

Looking for more content or a specific clip? Contact us
Nous, les vivants: At the Frontiers of the Self 11:25
Interview

Nous, les vivants: At the Frontiers of the Self

Olivier Bleys takes us into the Andes on a journey of initiation in which the mountains, solitude and the limits of technology open the way to an inner quest.

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Antarctique: Writing at the Ends of the Earth 16:52
Interview

Antarctique: Writing at the Ends of the Earth

Olivier Bleys recounts the genesis of a claustrophobic polar tale inspired by a true story, blending extreme solitude, Soviet exploration and black humour.
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Writing the World on Foot 16:15
Interview

Writing the World on Foot

A writer and seasoned traveller, Olivier Bleys describes how walking, encounters and immersion in other cultures nourish a body of work in which reality is in constant dialogue with fiction.
Watch video

Want to feature Olivier Bleys at your next event?

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Publications

Author of more than thirty books, including: 

  • La Marche aux étoiles - En quête de ciels sauvages - Actes Sud, 2025
  • Antarctique - Gallimard, 2022 - finalist for the Prix Roger-Nimier 2022.
  • L’Art de la marche - Albin Michel, 2016
  • Discours d’un arbre sur la fragilité des hommes - Albin Michel, 2015 - Prix AMIC de l’Académie française; selected for the Prix Goncourt and finalist for the Prix Goncourt des lycéens.
  • Concerto pour la main morte - Albin Michel, 2013 - Prix de l’Union Interalliée - Prix spécial de La Nouvelle République.
  • Le Maître de café - Albin Michel, 2013 - Grand Prix SGDL du Roman - Prix Albert Bichot - Prix Café Spirit -  Prix du Roman de la Gourmandise.
  • Semper Augustus - Gallimard, 2007 - Prix Griffe Noire du meilleur roman historique.
  • Le Fantôme de la tour Eiffel - Gallimard, 2002 - Prix du roman historique des Rendez-vous de l’Histoire de Blois.
  • Pastel - Gallimard, 2000 - Prix François-Mauriac de l’Académie française -  Prix Georges Rinck;  Grand Prix de l’Académie des Arts et des Sciences du Pastel.
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Workshops

Walking Talk: Walking to Think Differently

The group leaves the room and starts walking. Along the way, Olivier Bleys shares his experience, creates moments for discussion and encourages participants to observe their surroundings and working habits differently. Movement becomes a tool for reflection, creativity and team cohesion.

Writing and Creativity Workshop

A professional writer and experienced workshop facilitator, Olivier Bleys uses writing as a tool for collective reflection. Participants may tell a story, imagine a future, reframe a problem, change perspective or create a shared narrative. The aim is to use storytelling to generate new ideas and support both individual and collective expression.

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