Leïla Slimani and Maria Horvei
When Myriam and Paul hire Louise as a nanny, the pieces in their lives all came together. The two children are happy, the apartment is spotless, the parents have time for themselves and each other. The family life is blooming, and the harmony seems absolute. So how is it possible that this all ends in desperation, murder and tragedy?
In French Moroccan Leïla Slimani’s books, it is the psychological development of the characters that captures the reader. Lullaby explores the interactions of a small upper middle-class family. What power struggles take place within the walls of this Parisian apartment? What secrets are buried in the nanny’s past?
With only two works of fiction, Slimani has quickly become a favorite on the French literary scene. Her debut novel, Dans le jardin l’ogre (published in English as Adèle), was an immediate success among readers and critics both, while Lullaby won her the prestigious Goncourt Prize in 2016. Trained as a journalist, Slimani also has several non-fiction books to her name, among them one taking on the lack of sexual freedom in Morocco. In 2017, she was appointed French president Emmanuel Macron’s representative in the Francophonie (OIF).
This evening, she will meet critic and editor of the literary magazine Vinduet, Maria Horvei, for a conversation about class, power play and the modern family.
The event is supported by Institute francais Oslo.
Litteraturhuset Wergeland forfattersamtale English Billett https://litteraturhuset.ticketco.events/no/nb/e/ustemt_vuggevise_lela_slimani_og_maria_horvei