Adèle : A Novel

Marie Ndiaye, John Fletcher (Translation)

In this new novel, the first by a black woman ever to win the coveted Prix Goncourt, Marie NDiaye creates a luminous narrative triptych as harrowing as it is beautiful. This is the story of three women who say no: Norah, a French-born lawyer who finds herself in Senegal, summoned by her estranged, tyrannical father to save another victim of his paternity; Fanta, who leaves a modest but contented life as a teacher in Dakar to follow her white boyfriend back to France, where his delusional depression and sense of failure poison everything; and Khady, a penniless widow put out by her husband′s family with nothing but the name of a distant cousin (the aforementioned Fanta) who lives in France, a place Khady can scarcely conceive of but toward which she must now take desperate flight. With lyrical intensity, Marie NDiaye masterfully evokes the relentless denial of dignity, to say nothing of happiness, in these lives caught between Africa and Europe. We see with stunning emotional exactitude how ordinary women discover unimagined reserves of strength, even as their humanity is chipped away. Three Strong Women admits us to an immigrant experience rarely if ever examined in fiction, but even more into the depths of the suffering heart. Review Starred Review: Library Journal, Kirkus Book Reviews “A writer of the highest caliber...NDiaye is a hypnotic storyteller with an unflinching understanding of the rock-bottom reality of most people′s... Lire plus…

Leïla Slimani

Lorsque Myriam, mère de deux jeunes enfants, décide malgré les réticences de son mari de reprendre son activité au sein d'un cabinet d'avocats, le couple se met à la recherche d'une nounou. Après un casting sévère, ils engagent Louise, qui conquiert très vite l'affection des enfants et occupe progressivement une place centrale dans le foyer. Peu à peu le piège de la dépendance mutuelle va se refermer, jusqu'au drame. À travers la description précise du jeune couple et celle du personnage fascinant et mystérieux de la nounou, c'est notre époque qui se révèle, avec sa conception de l'amour et de l'éducation, des rapports de domination et d'argent, des préjugés de classe ou de culture. Le style sec et tranchant de Leïla Slimani, où percent des éclats de poésie ténébreuse, instaure dès les premières pages un suspense envoûtant. Prix Goncourt 2016 Prix des lecteurs - Gallimard 2017 Grand prix des lectrices Elle 2017 Grand prix des Lycéennes Elle 2017 Lire plus…

Leila Slimani, Sam Taylor (Translation)

Also known as The Perfect NannyThe baby is dead. It only took a few seconds.When Myriam, a French-Moroccan lawyer, decides to return to work after having children, she & her husband look for the perfect caretaker for their two young children. They never dreamed they would find Louise: a quiet, polite & devoted woman who sings to their children, cleans the family's chic apartment in Paris's upscale tenth arrondissement, stays late without complaint & is able to host enviable birthday parties.The couple & nanny become more dependent on each other. But as jealousy, resentment & suspicions increase, Myriam & Paul's idyllic tableau is shattered...°°° Leïla Slimani is the first Moroccan woman to win France’s most prestigious literary prize, the Prix Goncourt, which she won for Lullaby. A journalist & frequent commentator on women’s & human rights, she is French president Emmanuel Macron’s personal representative for the promotion of the French language & culture. Leïla is also the chair of the International Booker Prize 2023 judging panel. Born in Rabat, Morocco, in 1981, she lives in Portugal. Lire plus…

Leïla Slimani; Éric Fottorino

Entretien de Leïla Slimani avec Eric Fottorino. "Lorsque je me mets à ma table de travail, je ne suis plus vraiment moi. Je ne suis plus une femme, je ne suis plus marocaine ou française, je ne suis même plus à Paris ni quelque part, je suis affranchie de tout. Quand on s'engage en littérature, on est obligé de s'engager totalement." Leïla Slimani. Lire plus…

Slimani, Leïla

"Une semaine qu'elle tient. Une semaine qu'elle n'a pas cédé. Adèle a été sage. En quatre jours, elle a couru trente-deux kilomètres. Elle est allée de Pigalle aux Champs-Élysées, du musée d'Orsay à Bercy. Elle a couru le matin sur les quais déserts. La nuit, sur le boulevard Rochechouart et la place de Clichy. Elle n'a pas bu d'alcool et elle s'est couchée tôt. Mais cette nuit, elle en a rêvé et n'a pas pu se rendormir. Un rêve moite, interminable, qui s'est introduit en elle comme un souffle d'air chaud. Adèle ne peut plus penser qu'à ça. Elle se lève, boit un café très fort dans la maison endormie. Debout dans la cuisine, elle se balance d'un pied sur l'autre. Elle fume une cigarette. Sous la douche, elle a envie de se griffer, de se déchirer le corps en deux. Elle cogne son front contre le mur. Elle veut qu'on la saisisse, qu'on lui brise le crâne contre la vitre. Dès qu'elle ferme les yeux, elle entend les bruits, les soupirs, les hurlements, les coups. Un homme nu qui halète, une femme qui jouit. Elle voudrait n'être qu'un objet au milieu d'une horde, être dévorée, sucée, avalée tout entière. Qu'on lui pince les seins, qu'on lui morde le ventre. Elle veut être une poupée dans le jardin de l'ogre." Prix littéraire de la Mamounia 2015 Lire plus…

Leïla Slimani; Éditions Les Arènes

**La vie sexuelle au Maroc.**__Sexe et mensonges__, c’est la parole, forte et sincère, d’une jeunesse marocaine bâillonnée dans un monde arabe où le sexe se consomme pourtant comme une marchandise.Les femmes que Leïla Slimani a rencontrées lui ont confié sans fard ni tabou leur vie sexuelle, entre soumission et transgression. Car, au Maroc, la loi punit et proscrit toute forme de relations sexuelles hors mariage, tout comme l’homosexualité et la prostitution.Dans cette société fondée sur l’hypocrisie, la jeune fille et la femme n’ont qu’une alternative : vierge ou épouse.__Sexe et mensonges__est une confrontation essentielle avec les démons intimes du Maroc et un appel vibrant à la liberté universelle d’être, d’aimer et de désirer. Lire plus…

Al Neimi, Salwa; Perkins, Carol

A bestseller throughout the Arab world, a tribute to sex, eroticism, language and liberty, The Proof of the Honey is a superb celebration of female pleasure. A Syrian scholar working in Paris is invited to contribute to a conference on the subject of classic erotic literature in Arabic. The invitation provides occasion for her to evoke memories from her own life, to exult in her personal liberty, her lovers, her desires, and to revisit moments of shared intimacy with other women as they discuss life, love, and sexual desire. Far more than an erotic novel, The Proof of the Honey is a surprising and illuminating voyage into the history of Arabic literature. Borrowing inspiration from The Thousand and One Nights , erudite asides are woven into the fabric of the protagonist's story and the stories of her lovers. Affirming that "Arabic is the language of sex," and making desire the source of her own personal liberty, Al Neimi has written a stirring novel about... Lire plus…

Daoud, Kamel; Cullen, John

A New York Times Notable Book of 2015 “A tour-de-force reimagining of Camus’s The Stranger, from the point of view of the mute Arab victims.” —The New Yorker   He was the brother of “the Arab” killed by the infamous Meursault, the antihero of Camus’s classic novel. Seventy years after that event, Harun, who has lived since childhood in the shadow of his sibling’s memory, refuses to let him remain anonymous: he gives his brother a story and a name—Musa—and describes the events that led to Musa’s casual murder on a dazzlingly sunny beach.                 In a bar in Oran, night after night, he ruminates on his solitude, on his broken heart, on his anger with men desperate for a god, and on his disarray when faced with a country that has so disappointed him. A stranger among his own people, he wants to be granted, finally, the right to die.                 The Stranger is of course central to Daoud’s story, in which he both endorses and criticizes one of the most famous novels in the world. A worthy complement to its great predecessor, The Meursault Investigation is not only a profound meditation on Arab identity and the disastrous effects of colonialism in Algeria, but also a stunning work of literature in its own right, told in a unique and affecting voice. Lire plus…

Slimani, Leïla

« Leïla Slimani a reçu le prix Goncourt 2016 pour Chanson douce paru chez Gallimard. Remarquée dès son premier roman, Dans le jardin de l’Ogre, publié lui aussi chez Gallimard, Leïla Slimani a obtenu un immense succès de librairie. Ce livre-ci rassemble les textes qu’elle a écrits pour Le 1. Six petits bijoux, chacun doté d’une force qui impressionne, servis par une plume déliée, un regard tout en finesse, qu’il s’agisse de courtes nouvelles à la Tchekhov - Le diable est dans les détails - ou de textes engagés : ainsi Intégristes je vous hais, rédigé dans l’urgence et la rage au lendemain des attentats du 13 novembre 2015. Nous vous proposons ainsi de mieux connaître les multiples facettes d’une jeune auteure dont la voix n’a pas fini de nous interpeller, tantôt par un murmure, tantôt par un cri. » Éric Fottorino, Directeur de l’hebdomadaire Lire plus…

Slimani, Leïla; Taylor, Sam

**SOON TO BE A MAJOR HBO SHOW STARRING NICOLE KIDMAN AND MAYA ERSKINE** THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER A RICHARD AND JUDY PICK WINNER OF THE DEBUT NOVEL OF THE YEAR AT THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS A SUNDAY TIMES TOP 100 NOVEL OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY 'Creepy, shocking, compulsive' The Times, BOOKS OF THE YEAR 'Unnerving, addictive.' Grazia 'The smartest thriller you'll read this year.' Independent The baby is dead. It took only a few seconds. When Myriam, a brilliant lawyer, decides to return to work, she and her husband look for a nanny for their two young children. They never dreamed they would find Louise: a quiet, polite and devoted woman who sings to their children, cleans the family's chic Paris apartment, stays late without complaint and hosts enviable birthday parties. But as the couple and their nanny become more and more dependent on each other, jealousy, resentment and suspicions increase, until Myriam and Paul's idyllic domesticity is shattered . . . What readers are saying: ***** 'Haunting. . . I will be pressing it into the hands of anyone who passes me.' ***** 'Shocking, daring, and utterly compelling.' ***** 'It had me hooked right from the start.' **PRE-ORDER WATCH US DANCE - THE SEDUCTIVE, VIBRANT NEW NOVEL FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR** Lire plus…

Perks, Heidi

What should have been a fun-filled, carefree day takes a tragic turn for the worse for one mother when her best friend's child goes missing in this "seriously page-turning" (Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author), suspenseful, and darkly twisted psychological thriller. Charlotte was supposed to be looking after the children, and she swears she was. But while her three kids are all safe and sound at the school fair, Alice, her best friend Harriet's daughter, is nowhere to be found. Frantically searching everywhere, Charlotte knows she must find the courage to tell Harriet that her beloved only child is missing--and admit that she's solely to blame. Harriet, devastated by this unbearable loss, can no longer bring herself to speak to Charlotte again, much less trust her. Now, more isolated than ever and struggling to keep her marriage afloat, Harriet believes nothing and no one. But as the police bear down on both women, trying to piece together the puzzle of what happened to this little girl, dark secrets begin to surface--and Harriet discovers that trusting Charlotte again may be the only thing that will reunite her with her daughter.... This breathless and fast-paced novel--perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and The Couple Next Door --takes you on a chilling journey that will keep you guessing until the very last page Lire plus…

Slimani, Leila; Taylor, Sam

"Fascinating . . . Adèle has glanced at the covenant of modern womanhood—the idea that you can have it all or should at least die trying—and detonated it." — The New York Times Book Review "[A] fierce, uncanny thunderbolt of a book." — Entertainment Weekly From the bestselling author of The Perfect Nanny —one of the 10 Best Books of the Year of The New York Times Book Review —as well as Sex and Lies and In the Country of Others, her prizewinning novel about a sex-addicted woman in Paris She wants only one thing: to be wanted. Adèle appears to have the perfect life: She is a successful journalist in Paris who lives in a beautiful apartment with her surgeon husband and their young son. But underneath the surface, she is bored—and consumed by an insatiable need for sex. Driven less by pleasure than compulsion, Adèle organizes her day around her extramarital affairs, arriving late to work and lying to her husband about where she's been, until she becomes ensnared in a trap of her own making. Suspenseful, erotic, and electrically charged, Adèle is a captivating exploration of addiction, sexuality, and one woman's quest to feel alive. Lire plus…

Moss, Sarah

A beautifully written memoir of a family’s year living in Reykjavik, Iceland that “captures the fierce beauty of the Arctic landscape”—from the acclaimed author of Ghost Wall ( Booklist ). Sarah Moss had a childhood dream of moving to Iceland, sustained by a wild summer there when she was nineteen. In 2009, she saw an advertisement for a job at the University of Iceland and applied on a whim, despite having two young children and a comfortable life in Kent, England. The resulting adventure was shaped by Iceland’s economic collapse, which halved the value of her salary; by the eruption of the volcano Eyjafjallajokull; and by a collection of new friends, including a poet who saw the only bombs fall on Iceland in 1943; a woman who speaks to elves; and a chef who guided Sarah’s family around the intricacies of Icelandic cuisine. Moss explored hillsides of boiling mud and volcanic craters and learned to drive like an Icelander on the unsurfaced roads that link remote farms and fishing villages in the far north. She watched the northern lights and the comings and goings of migratory birds, and as the weeks and months went by, she and her family learned new ways to live. Names for the Sea is her compelling and very funny account of living in a country poised on the edge of Europe, where modernization clashes with living folklore. Lire plus…

Leïla Slimani

En 1944, Mathilde, une jeune Alsacienne, s'éprend d'Amine Belhaj, un Marocain combattant dans l'armée française. Après la Libération, elle quitte son pays pour suivre au Maroc celui qui va devenir son mari. Le couple s'installe à Meknès, ville de garnison et de colons, où le système de ségrégation coloniale s'applique avec rigueur. Amine récupère ses terres, rocailleuses ingrates et commence alors une période très dure pour la famille. Mathilde accouche de deux enfants : Aïcha et Sélim. Au prix de nombreux sacrifices et vexations, Amine parvient à organiser son domaine, en s'alliant avec un médecin hongrois, Dragan Palosi, qui va devenir un ami très proche. Mathilde se sent étouffée par le climat rigoriste du Maroc, par sa solitude à la ferme, par la méfiance qu'elle inspire en tant qu'étrangère et par le manque d'argent. Les relations entre les colons et les indigènes sont très tendues, et Amine se trouve pris entre deux feux : marié à une Française, propriétaire terrien employant des ouvriers marocains, il est assimilé aux colons par les autochtones, et méprisé et humilié par les Français parce qu'il est marocain. Il est fier de sa femme, de son courage, de sa beauté particulière, de son fort tempérament, mais il en a honte aussi car elle ne fait pas preuve de la modestie ni de la soumission convenables. Aïcha grandit dans ce climat de violence, suivant l'éducation que lui prodiguent les Soeurs à Meknès, où elle fréquente des fillettes françaises issues de familles... Lire plus…

Leïla Slimani, Sophie Lewis

The first work of non-fiction in English from the prize-winning and internationally bestselling author of Lullaby and Adèle In these essays, Leila Slimani gives voice to young Moroccan women who are grappling with a conservative Arab culture that at once condemns and commodifies sex. In a country where the law punishes and outlaws all forms of sex outside marriage, as well as homosexuality and prostitution, women have only two options for their sexual identities: virgin or wife. Sex and Lies is an essential confrontation with Morocco's intimate demons and a vibrant appeal for the universal freedom to be, to love and to desire. Lire plus…

Gilles Boetsch; Nicolas Bancel; Pascal Blanchard; Sylvie Chalaye; Fanny Robles; T. Denean Sharpley-Whiting; Jean-Francois Staszak; Christelle Taraud; Dominic Thomas; Naima Yahi; Leila Slimani; Jacques Martial; Antoine Petit

Longtemps passées sous silence, la sexualité dans les empires coloniaux et la domination sur les corps apparaissent aujourd’hui comme des sujets de recherches majeurs. Les héritages de cette histoire font désormais débats dans nos sociétés de plus en plus métissées et mondialisées. Six siècles d’histoire ont construit des imaginaires, des fantasmes et des pratiques analysés dans cet ouvrage au fil des cinquante contributions de spécialistes internationaux. Coordonné par un collectif paritaire de dix chercheur.e.s de plusieurs disciplines, l’ouvrage Sexualités, identités et corps colonisés tisse des liens entre passé et présent, et explore les nombreuses facettes de cette histoire. La publication de Sexe, race & colonies en 2018 a initié débats et polémiques, mais a aussi reçu un écho sans précédent. Ce nouveau livre va plus loin. Aux quinze articles majeurs du précédent ouvrage, réédités pour les rendre accessibles au plus grand nombre, ont été ajoutées trente contributions inédites éclairant la transversalité de cette question dans tous les empires coloniaux jusqu’aux sociétés postcoloniales actuelles. Ce livre permet de saisir comment la sexualité et les hiérarchies raciales ont été consubstantielles à l’organisation du pouvoir dans les empires et à l’invention d’imaginaires transnationaux. Déconstruire les regards coloniaux qui sont omniprésents dans nos représentations suppose de regarder en face cette hégémonie sexuelle mondialisée et ce passé, aussi complexe... Lire plus…

Leïla Slimani, Sophie Lewis

“Jaw-dropping . . . Inspiring . . . A haunting & beautifully composed book . . . It blew my mind.” – Lisa Taddeo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Three WomenA fearless exposé of the secrets and lies of women’s intimate lives, by the bestselling author of The Perfect Nanny, Adèle, & In the Country of Others“All those in positions of authority–politicians, parents, teachers–maintain the same line: ‘Do what you like, but do it in private.‘ “°°°Leila Slimani was in her native Morocco promoting her novel Adèle, about a woman addicted to sex, when she began meeting women who confided the dark secrets of their sexual lives. In Morocco, adultery, abortion, homosexuality, prostitution, & sex outside of marriage are all punishable by law, & women have only two choices: They can be wives or virgins. Sex and Lies combines vivid, often harrowing testimonies with Slimani's passionate & intelligent commentary to make a galvanizing case for a sexual revolution in the Arab world.Leïla Slimani is the first Moroccan woman to win France’s most prestigious literary prize, the Prix Goncourt, which she won for Lullaby. A journalist & frequent commentator on women’s & human rights, she is French president Emmanuel Macron’s personal representative for the promotion of the French language & culture. Leïla is also the chair of the International Booker Prize 2023 judging panel. Born in Rabat, Morocco in 1981, she lives in Portugal. Lire plus…

Leïla Slimani, Sam Taylor (Translation)

From the bestselling author of The Perfect Nanny--one of the 10 Best Books of the Year of The New York Times Book Review--her prizewinning novel about a sex-addicted woman in Paris. She wants only one thing: to be wanted.Adèle appears to have the perfect life: She is a successful journalist in Paris who lives in a beautiful apartment with her surgeon husband and their young son. But underneath the surface, she is bored–and consumed by an insatiable need for sex.Driven less by pleasure than compulsion, Adèle organizes her day around her extramarital affairs, arriving late to work & lying to her husband about where she’s been, until she becomes ensnared in a trap of her own making. Suspenseful, erotic, & electrically charged, Adèle is a captivating exploration of addiction, sexuality, & one woman’s quest to feel alive. °°° Leïla Slimani is the first Moroccan woman to win France’s most prestigious literary prize, the Prix Goncourt, which she won for Lullaby. A journalist & frequent commentator on women’s & human rights, she is French president Emmanuel Macron’s personal representative for the promotion of the French language & culture. Leïla is also the chair of the International Booker Prize 2023 judging panel. Born in Rabat, Morocco,in 1981, she lives in Portugal.Sam Taylor is an award-winning literary translator & novelist. He has written 4 novels & he has translated more than 60 books from the French, including Laurent Binet’s HHhH, Leila Slimani’s The Perfect Nanny, &... Lire plus…

Leïla Slimani

"Une semaine qu'elle tient. Une semaine qu'elle n'a pas cédé. Mais cette nuit, elle en a rêvé et n'a pas pu se rendormir. Un rêve moite, interminable, qui s'est introduit en elle comme un souffle d'air chaud. Adèle ne peut plus penser qu'à ça." Adèle semble heureuse avec Richard, le médecin qu'elle a épousé. Pourtant, elle ne peut s'empêcher de collectionner les conquêtes. Dans le jardin de l'ogre est l'histoire d'un corps esclave de ses pulsions que rien ne rassasie. Un roman féroce et viscéral sur l'addiction sexuelle et ses implacables conséquences. Lire plus…