Thursday, October 1, 2026

11:45 AM - 1:45 PM

Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum

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. Join the conversation in exploring taboo subjects that goes against some customs and traditions of certain societies.  What does it mean to go against the grain in some cultures? 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 (Dans le jardin de l’ogre), 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. 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).

 This event is co-sponsored by the Gould Center for Humanistic Studies and the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum.