Talks in English

September Monday 29

Jonathan Coe – The Proof of my Innocence

Drinks : 6.30 pm ; 7 – 8.30 pm

Interview conducted by Clare O’Dea, journalist and author

JONATHAN COE is one of Britain’s most beloved novelists. Over the years, he has received numerous honors and awards, including Prix du livre européen with Middle England (Le coeur de l’Angleterre, Gallimard, 2019) and Prix Médicis étranger for The House of Sleep (La maison du sommeil, Gallimard, 1998). The Proof of my Innocence (Les preuves de mon innocence, Gallimard, 2025) is a blisteringly funny political critique starting with a murder mystery in the middle of an ultraconservative rally in the mansion of a great heir as Britain finds itself under the leadership of Prime Minister Liz Truss whose tenure will only last for seven weeks. This satire of the English crime thriller denounces the rise of extremes and the treatment of information in the post-truth era. We are welcoming Jonathan Coe on the occasion of the French launch of his fascinating and hilarious multi-faceted investigation.

October Thursday 30

Jim Fergus – The Strength of Native American Women

Drinks : 6.30 pm; Talk : 7 – 8.30 pm

Interview conducted by Kasmira Jefford, editor-in-chief of Geneva Solutions

Born in Chicago in 1950 to a French mother and an American father, JIM FERGUS lives between Arizona, Colorado and France. Passionate about Native American cultures, particularly the Cheyenne, he writes sweeping epics that combine portraits of strong women with historical plots. He has achieved great success with One Thousand White Women (Le Cherche Midi, 2000): his trilogy takes place in 1874, when a convoy of a thousand white women is exchanged, willingly or by force, for a thousand horses to ensure peace between peoples by mixing blood. We are welcoming Jim Fergus for the French release of the second edition of The Wild Girl (Le Cherche Midi, 2025).

November Tuesday 25

Philippe Sands – 38 Londres Street : On Impunity, Pinochet in England and a Nazi in Patagonia

Drinks : 6.30 pm; Talk : 7 – 8.30 pm

PHILIPPE SANDS is Professor of Law at University College London and a practicing barrister. As a renowned human rights lawyer, he has been involved in many important cases, including Pinochet, Congo, Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Iraq, Guantanamo and the Yazidis. Themes of memory and responsibility are central in all his books. He advocates that ecocide should be brought before the International Criminal Court. His multi-award winning books include East West Street (Retour à Lemberg, Albin Michel, 2021) and The Last Colony (La dernière colonie, Albin Michel, 2023). 38 Londres Street (38 rue de Londres, Albin Michel, 2025) gathers the threads that link the former Chilean dictator Pinochet to a Nazi war criminal.

Members 20.- / non members 30.- / students 5.-