Celebrating Best-Selling French Authors in Boston

Marie NDiaye is an acclaimed French novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. Marie NDiaye’s expansive literary career began at the age of eighteen with the publication of Quant au riche avenir by Les Éditions de Minuit. Intertwining lyrical prose, psychological depth, and a distinctive narrative voice, Marie NDiaye has since established herself as a unique creative within contemporary French literature. She was the recipient of the Prix Femina in 2001 for her novel Rose Carpe and the Prix Goncourt in 2009 for Three Strong Women. Her latest novel Vengeance is Mine was published in 2023.

Upcoming Events:

• October 21st – Conference at Dartmouth College (not open to the public)
• October 23rd – Book Talk at Boston University (open to the public)
• October 24th – Book Talk at Wellesley College (not open to the public)
• October 25th, 10:00 AM-11:00 AM – Book Talk at the French Library (Boston Book Festival) (open to the public)
• October 25th – Conference at Brown University (not open to the public)

Miguel Bonnefoy is a French and Venezuelan novelist, whose rich storytelling delves into a range of relevant themes from identity to family and collective memory. He was the recipient of the Prix de Jeune Écrivain in 2013. His acclaimed novel Heritage was short-listed for several prestigious literary honors, including the Grand Prix de l’Académie française, the Prix Femina, and the Prix Goncourt. His latest novel, The Dream of the Jaguar, will be released in the US in December 2025.

Upcoming Events:

• October 24th – Book Talk at Tufts University (not open to the public)
• October 25th, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Book Talk at the French Library (open to the public)

Photo: Portrait of Miguel Bonnefoy 22/04/2024  ©Aurélie Lamachère/Leextra/Maison Deyrolle/Éditions Rivages

Bruno Perreau is the Cynthia L. Reed Professor of French Studies and Language, specializing in critical theory, politics, and contemporary French literature and culture. He has written on a vast array of subjects from gender in translation to minority politics in a global context. He is the author of thirteen books, as well as around fifty articles and book chapters. In this latest book, Spheres of Injustice: The Ethical Promise of Minority Presence, Perreau introduces intersectionality as a new theory of justice.

Upcoming Events:

• October 25th, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM – Book Talk at the French Library (open to the public)

Sybille Grimbert is an acclaimed French author and recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the Maurice Genevoix Prize from the Academie Française, the 30 million D’Amis Literary Prize, the François Sommer Prize, and the Joseph Kessel Prize. Her latest novel, The Last of its Kind, is Grimbert’s eleventh novel and examines the extraordinary bond between humans and animals.

Upcoming Events:

• Monday, October 27th- Lycée International de Boston (not open to the public)
• Monday, October 27th, 6-7:30 PM – French Library Boston (open to the public)

Thomas Schlesser is an author, art historian, and the director of the Hartung-Bergman Foundation in Antibes, France. He teaches Art History at the École Polytechnique in Paris and is the author of several works of nonfiction, including Luminous Lives – a Biography of Anna‑Eva Bergman and Mona’s Eyes. Schlesser is a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres and was awarded 2025’s Author of the Year by Livres Hebdo.

Upcoming Events:

• Tuesday, October 21st, 7:00 PM – Harvard Book Store  (open to the public)

Photo: Paris, France, le 29 janvier 2024. A l’occasion de la sortie de son roman LES YEUX DE MONA, Thomas Schlesser a commenté plusieurs oeuvres au musée d’Orsay dont il est question dans son livre. Photo : LP / Olivier Corsan