Review·by Estelle Normand·October 30, 2026
Décolorer sa fille, by Lucie Bérard
Lucie Bérard's debut novel follows Paula, adrift by the sea between memories and chemical blondness: a complex heroine with a caustic eye.
French Press
The media outlet that gives a voice to the people shaping literary news across the French-speaking world.
The French Press Prize
Sylvie Kandé is the winner of the 2026 French Press Prize. Laurence Plazenet receives a special mention from the jury.
French Press announces its first literary prize. It rewards a French-language author with a literary project connected to the United States, with a Jules Verne writing residency at The Ohio State University and a tour of Midwest universities.
Featured
All writing →Essay·by Olivier Sebban·November 2, 2026
Maintenant que l’hiver Was Foretelling Chaos
This novel was born of a sense of unease at the deteriorating state of our country, as well as of a melancholy brought on by the consequences of the profound political, cultural, and moral crisis we are going through.
Review·by Estelle Normand·October 29, 2026
Mes pieds nus frappent le sol, by Laure Martin
A striking and necessary autobiographical debut novel about a woman who survived sexual violence and incest: an urgent read.
Review·by Estelle Normand·October 28, 2026
Une bête à ton tour, by Anna Haillot
In language as punchy as it is visceral, the author takes apart the alienating, crushing machinery of the factory: its violence, its absurdity, and the inhumanity of its working conditions and its bosses.
Latest videos
All videos →Interview·October 20, 2026
Femmes du Japon. Libres sous contraintes
Karyn Nishimura-Poupée
Karyn Nishimura-Poupée, a journalist based in Tokyo for twenty-five years, presents “Femmes du Japon. Libres sous contraintes” (Tallandier), on the paradoxes of women's lives in Japan.
Interview·July 17, 2026
Darwin et les bas bleus
Françoise Lavocat
Françoise Lavocat presents her novel “Darwin et les bas bleus,” published by Éditions S/Z.
Interview·June 16, 2026
Dans les pas d'Hélène Berr
Mariette Job
Mariette Job presents “Dans les pas d'Hélène Berr.”
En Bref
All episodes →Videos by students: one book presented in under five minutes.
En Bref·October 9, 2026
Voir le pire
French Press presents Olivier Amiel's “Voir le pire” in under five minutes.
En Bref·October 9, 2026
Triste tigre
French Press presents Neige Sinno's “Triste tigre” (P.O.L) in under five minutes.
En Bref·October 9, 2026
La version qui n'intéresse personne
Madeline Price
Madeline Price presents Emmanuelle Pierrot's “La version qui n'intéresse personne” (Le Quartanier) in under five minutes.
Shorts
All shorts →Our videos under one minute: clips from conversations with our guests, authors presenting their books, and reviews by Je lis la nuit.
Short·July 3, 2026
Les Chroniques de Beaurivage
Jean-Philippe Servy
Jean-Philippe Servy presents his novel “Les Chroniques de Beaurivage : L'Héritage” (Éditions Baudelaire).
Short·June 17, 2026
Le Froid du Métal, le Poids du Rosaire
Maxime Roque
Maxime Roque presents his latest text, “Le Froid du Métal, le Poids du Rosaire” (Éditions Persée).
Short·May 9, 2026
Arco éditions
The founder of Arco éditions presents his publishing house, which wants to give readers back a taste for the classics.
Short·April 15, 2026
“Try to De-coincide”
Laurent Nunez
Laurent Nunez shares advice for writers sending their first manuscripts to publishers.
Writing with Marianne Jaeglé
All her videos →The novelist's writing advice, in short videos.
Writing with Marianne Jaeglé·October 29, 2026
What makes a great writer?
Marianne Jaeglé
What is a great writer? Marianne Jaeglé offers an answer inspired by Victor Hugo’s definition: “those whose thought fills every corner of their style.”
Writing with Marianne Jaeglé·October 22, 2026
Discovering the Writer Within
Marianne Jaeglé
How do you discover, and accept, the writer you really are? The example of Marcel Pagnol, who dreamed of being melancholy and became the writer of Provençal light.
Writing with Marianne Jaeglé·October 15, 2026
The Magic Formula for Revision
Marianne Jaeglé
Rewriting, yes, but how? After Stephen King, Hédi Kaddour's advice: find the weak point in the text, diagnose it, then treat it.
Writing with Marianne Jaeglé·October 8, 2026
The Magic Formula for Writing
Marianne Jaeglé
The advice from an editor that changed how Stephen King revises his work: cut, trim. And what's your magic formula?
About us
Founded in 2022 by Benjamin Hoffmann, a writer and professor of French and Francophone literature at Ohio State, French Press is a French-American literary media outlet. Through interviews, reviews, short videos, and writing advice, it gives a voice to the writers, publishers, scholars, and journalists who make today's literature. With the support of the Consulate General of France in Chicago and Villa Albertine, French Press builds bridges between France, the French-speaking world, and the United States, and now awards its own literary prize.