File photo of French President Francois Hollande.
French President Francois Hollande on Thursday "warmly congratulated" writer Patrick Modiano on his Nobel Literature Prize win.
Hollande said in a statement that the prize recognises "a considerable body of work which explores the subtleties of memory and the complexity of identity".
Modiano, 69, described by one critic as "1 metre 90 of shyness and candour," is one of France's most celebrated writers, and a winner of the country's top literary award the Goncourt.
Modiano said he was "very happy" at his victory, but "with his customary modesty told me that 'it's weird'," his editor Antoine Gallimard told AFP.
"The Republic is proud of the recognition, through this Nobel prize, of one of our greatest writers. Patrick Modiano is the 15th French person to receive this eminent distinction, confirming the great influence of our literature," said Hollande.