After studying philosophy and political science at the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris ("Sciences Po"), Orsenna specialized in economics at the London School of Economics.

He was a close collaborator of François Mitterrand and held several government positions in the 1980s and 1990s.

He is a member (currently on leave) of the Conseil d'État, having been appointed in 1985.

He won the 1990 International Nonino Prize in Italy.

For Voyage au pays du coton he received the second prize of the Lettre Ulysses Award in 2006.