International Authors' Stage: Édouard Louis (FR)
Édouard Louis has written himself to the top in record time with political indignation and class portrayal. His works are available in Danish, "Monique flygter" (2024) and "Voldens historie" (2016).
Édouard Louis has written his way to the top of the international literary scene with political indignation. Now he is returning to The Black Diamond, where in 2023 he spoke to a sold-out Queen's Hall.
Writing as rebellion
When Louis illuminates 21st century class issues in his writing, he does so with political anger and with a deeply felt guilt and shame, and this has made him one of the greatest modern literary voices in Europe.
“When I write, it's a rebellion. Every single line starts in that rebellion.” - Edouard Louis
Édouard Louis is known as a politically indignant voice in France. He writes about his origins in an underclass of the underclass, a stratum of society as ravaged by violence, alcohol and racism as ever. And he does so at a time when a word like 'proletariat' seems both antiquarian and anachronistic, but discussions about class societies and parallel societies are more relevant than ever before.
“Surely he is an outsider. Sure, he writes well. He is certainly crude in his tone and in his view of the world. But most of all, he can do what human icons have always been good at. The author steps forward and turns our collective imagination in a new direction.”
Combines lived experience with sociology and philosophy
Édouard Louis was born Eddy Bellegueule and debuted in 2014 with the award-winning bestseller The End of Eddy Bellegueule about his own upbringing as a homosexual in 'Outskirts France' in an environment of total poverty – culturally, socially and economically. Since then, among others, Change: A Novel about Louis' own transformation through his escape from the absolute bottom of society to the highest peaks cemented his position in European literature. In his writing, Louis combines his lived experiences with his sociological knowledge from his studies in sociology and philosophy at two of France's most prominent universities, École Normale Supérieure and École des Hautes Études et Science Sociales.
An evening about structure of society and freedom
"all my life, especially in my family, I've seen men beat women, and it must not happen to you, I told her, It can't happen to you, you have to go, you have to go."
This is what Louis writes in his latest novel, Monique flygter, which was published together with the re-release of History of Violence in Gyldendal in 2024. Both books explore in different ways the nature of violence as both personal and institutional, as well as the aftermath that victims of violence have to live with.
Experience or re-experience Édouard Louis as he takes the International Writers Scene to talk about the structures and prejudices of class society and the people it affects.
Contributors
Édouard Louis
Édouard Louis was born Eddy Bellegueule in Northern France in 1992. Graduated in sociology and philosophy from the École Normale Supérieure and the École des Hautes Études et Science Sociales. and thus has an academic education as the first in his family. Made his novel debut in 2014 with the award-winning bestseller The End of Eddy Bellegueule. Has published a total of seven novels and has also been editor of works on Pierre Bourdieu and Michel Foucault.
Part of the series International Authors' Stage
Photo: Malthe Ivarsson / Det Kgl. Bibliotek
Meet the greatest authors of the time from all over the world for in-depth conversations in The Black Diamond's beautiful event hall, the Queen's Hall. International Authors' Stage was founded in 2008, and has since hosted more than 150 authors from around the world.
The event is part of the series International Authors' Stage.
