Les Vendanges Littéraires

In his new novel, Éric Fottorino takes us back to the literary ferment of Paris in the 1990s.

Fosco, a 20-year-old novelist, sees his destiny turned upside down when he meets Clara, an influential press attaché, and Saïd, an Algerian writer hounded for his stance against religious fundamentalism.

Together, they form an inseparable trio, driven by friendship, love and the conviction that literature is bigger than life.

Thirty years on, Fosco looks back on those dazzling months when passion, danger and exhilaration were intertwined.

Fottorino has written a novel that is both intimate and political, driven by an unshakeable faith in the power of words and their ability to shed light on dark areas.

Born in Nice in 1960, Éric Fottorino is a journalist, former director of Du Monde and co-founder of the weekly Le 1.

He is the author of a prolific body of work published by Gallimard (Korsakov, Baisers de cinéma, Mohican…), which has won numerous awards including the Femina and the Prix des Libraires.

With Bande à part, Guillaume Durand composes a gallery of tender, incisive and sometimes disconcerting portraits of major political and cultural figures.

From Claude Lévi-Strauss to David Bowie, from Françoise Sagan to Isabelle Huppert, right up to the presidents of the Fifth Republic, he recalls his encounters with personalities who have shaped recent history.

His memories are interwoven with intimate, unexpected scenes: a summer lunch with Nicolas Sarkozy, a secret conversation with Brigitte Macron on the eve of a candidacy, the last meals shared with Mitterrand and Chirac…

Fragments that reveal what goes on behind the scenes, where the humanity of the powerful is revealed.

Guillaume Durand’s career as a journalist has spanned every facet of the profession: print, radio and television.

He has covered the war, presidential elections and major cultural debates, as well as hosting shows that have become cult favorites, featuring writers, politicians and musicians.