Elkabbach was born in Oran in 1937, then the prefecture of the département d'Oran in French Algeria. Elkabbach would later spend time in Bonn, Germany before venturing into news in 1970. Elkabbach presents Bibliothèque Médicis on Public Sénat, during which he interviews an eclectic mix of international literati, political leaders, historians. Passion et longueur temps. Éditions Fayard. 1989. ISBN 2-213-02330-1. Taisez-vous Elkabbach!. Éditions Flammarion. 1992. ISBN 2-08-064421-1. Quelques jours. Éditions Grasset. 1997.