Nourissier was the secretary-general of Éditions Denoël (1952–1955), editor of the review La Parisienne (1955–1958), and an adviser with the Éditions Grasset Paris publishing house (1958–1996).
In 1970, he won the Prix Femina for his book La crève.
François Nourissier was elected to the Académie Goncourt in 1977.
In 2002, he was awarded the Prix mondial Cino Del Duca.
On 15 February 2011 Francois Nourissier died at Sainte-Perine Hospital in Paris from the complications of Parkinson's disease.