Laurent Binet: between history and imagination

A detective story told through letters about painters in Renaissance Florence, the Inca colonisation of Europe, or a meta-novel about the assassination of Nazi figure Heydrich: in his work, French author Laurent Binet explores the relationship between fiction and history, between reality and imagination.

In his latest novel Perspectives, Binet questions the ways in which art and free expression come under pressure—then, but according to Binet, certainly also in our own time.

During this evening, we will talk with Binet about his work. Writer Joost de Vries, who also blends historical fact with fiction in his writing, will join the conversation. What can fiction tell us that reality cannot?

Laurent Binet (Paris, 1972) studied at the University of Paris III–Sorbonne Nouvelle, obtained the agrégation in modern literature, and taught in Seine-Saint-Denis and abroad. In 2010 he published his debut novel HHhH, for which he received the Prix Goncourt for best first novel. This was followed by Rien ne se passe comme prévu (2012), The Seventh Function of Language (2015), which won the Prix du roman Fnac and the Prix Interallié, and Civilizations (2019), which received the Grand Prix du roman de l’Académie française.

Joost de Vries (1983) is editor of the Volkskrant Sunday supplement. He is also one of the regular contributors to the literary podcast BoekenFM and the author of the acclaimed novels Clausewitz, The Republic (winner of the Golden Owl Award), Old Masters, and the short story collection Calm Down, Tiger. In 2023, De Vries was awarded the Frans Kellendonk Prize for his entire body of work. His latest novel, Higher Powers (2024), was nominated for the Libris Literature Prize.