Author on Tour: Leïla Slimani

About Leïla Slimani

Leïla Slimani is a critically acclaimed French-Moroccan novelist, journalist, and cultural figure whose work has made her one of the most influential voices in contemporary francophone literature. She grew up between cultures — Moroccan, French, and Algerian — and studied political science in Paris before turning from journalism to fiction writing. Slimani’s literary career is marked by bold, provocative storytelling and a fearless exploration of taboo subjects such as sexuality, gender roles, societal pressures, and identity.

Her first novel, Adèle, translated by Sam Taylor (Dans le jardin de l’ogre, Gallimard), was published in 2014 and examines female sexual addiction and self-destruction within a societal context of repression and shame. This debut work garnered critical attention and was nominated for the Prix de Flore and won the La Mamounia Prize, marking her arrival on the French literary scene.

Slimani’s second novel, The Perfect Nanny (Chanson douce), published in 2016, became her international breakthrough. The psychological thriller about a nanny who murders the children in her care won the Prix Goncourt — France’s most prestigious literary award — in 2016, making Slimani the first Moroccan woman to receive it. The novel was later adapted into film and translated into multiple languages and was recognized as one of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of 2018.

Following this success, Slimani published works that expanded her literary range: the essay Sex and Lies (2017), a series of intimate testimonies from women in the Arab world that highlights sexual politics and gendered silences; In the Country of Others (2020), the first in a family-history trilogy set in post-World War II Morocco; Watch Us Dance; and I’ll Take the Fire (Penguin, June 9, 2026).

Beyond her books, Slimani has been honored for her advocacy and cultural impact. In 2017, French President Emmanuel Macron appointed her as his personal representative for the promotion of the French language and culture. For her activism in women’s rights and freedom of expression, she was awarded the Simone de Beauvoir Prize for Women’s Freedom in 2020. In 2026 she is in residence at the Museo del Prado for Writing the Prado, which will see her create a new work inspired by the museum. She was also awarded the 2026 International Prize at the 61st Valencia Book Fair and received the insignia of Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite (National Order of Merit) from France. Themes across her work consistently probe power dynamics, sexual politics, motherhood, identity, and the social structures that shape personal freedom.

About I’ll Take the Fire

(Penguin Books, 2026)

I’ll Take the Fire is the final book of her semi-autobiographical The Country of Others trilogy.

Mia Daoud yearns to be free. Growing up in socially conservative Morocco, her imagination fired by her banker father’s charisma and political idealism, her doctor mother’s feminist example and social conscience, and the boundless possibilities suggested by her favorite authors, she learns to go after what she wants, even if it means jumping through fire to get it. Determined to be true to her sexuality and to differentiate herself from her adoring younger sister, she sets out in search of her place in the world, from Casablanca to Paris to London, and against the backdrop of era-defining events like the fall of the Berlin Wall and 9/11, guided by a preternatural sense of justice and an unerring instinct for what makes her feel most alive.

Combining vigorous poetry and unflinching bravery, Leila Slimani’s autobiographical novel is a rousing ode to living a life of purpose and consequence.

I’ll Take the Fire was released in June 2026.

Find more information here.

Schedule

Leïla Slimani’s public schedule will include:

• Friday, September 25, 6pm: Conversation with author Jhumpa Lahiri as part of Literary Fall @ Villa Albertine, New York, NY – event in English. RSVP here.
• Saturday, September 27: Conversation with Kiran Desai and Yu-Mei Balasingamchow @ Brooklyn Book Festival, Brooklyn, NY – event in English.
• Monday, September 28, 7pm: Conversation @ Harvard Bookstore, Boston, MA – event in English. Learn more.
• Tuesday, September 29, 7:30pm: Conversation with Nadja Spiegelman @ City Arts & Lectures, San Francisco, CA – event in English. RSVP here.
• Friday, September 30: Event @ Marciano Art Foundation, Los Angeles, CA – event in English.
• Thursday, October 1: Event @Claremont McKenna College, Los Angeles, CA – event in English.
• Sunday, October 4: Participation in the Chicago Humanities Festival, Chicago, IL – event in English. RSVP here.

For more information, please email Noémie Jornet: noemie.jornet@villa-albertine.org