Leila Slimani | I'll Take the Fire

Leïla Slimani, the international bestselling author of Lullaby is visiting Cambridge to reflect on her inspiration, writing process, and introduce her latest work, the Country of Others trilogy. "Q: If your house was burning down, what would you take with you? A: I'd take the fire." This is the story of two sisters, Mia and Inés. Two girls enveloped in love, trapped by the social conventions of Casablanca at the dawn of the twenty-first century and silenced by the political 'truths' that envelop their lives. Mia – the older sister, a warrior and a pariah, her sexuality a matter of scorn, a truth to be erased. Inés – the little sister, a woman trying to carve out an identity in a Paris that derides and erases her with no way back to Morocco, a homeland her father has warned her never to return for her own sake. Join us for what promises to be a powerful conversation exploring politics and conflict, truth, sex and lies. Chaired by Aliya Ram, Research Fellow at Peterhouse, University of Cambridge.