Gilles Leroy

The UMass Amherst French and Francophone Studies Lecture Series Presents
Gilles Leroy
French Author and Goncourt Laureate
Friday, October 2, 2:30PM
Please join us for a reading and conversation
with award-winning French novelist, Gilles Leroy.
Gilles Leroy was born in Bagneux, France in
1958. Among his most notable works are
L’Amant russe (2002), Grandir (2004), and
Champsecret (2005). He was awarded the Prix
Goncourt, France’s most prestigious literary
prize, for his novel Alabama Song (2007), which
tells a story from the view of Zelda Fitzgerald,
American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald’s wife. Gilles
Leroy’s novels hold autobiographical influences
and often touch on themes such as paternal and
maternal relationships, the difficulties of love,
homosexuality, and social mobility. His
characters often gravitate in a world that is
tender but also violent. He has been
commended for the high quality and
flamboyant style of his writing.
Selective Bibliography:
‣ Le monde selon Billy Boy (2015)
‣ Nina Simone, roman (2013)
‣ Zola Jackson (2010)
‣ Alabama Song (Goncourt, 2007)
When: Friday, October 2, 2:30PM
Where: Herter 601
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Other: Free and Open to the Public; a light
Reception to follow.