Several authors decided not to participate this Wednesday in the traditional lunch organized by L’Express because of the invitation of Jordan Bardella.
This Wednesday, February 5, L’Express magazine is organizing its traditional lunch in Paris with the biggest books of the past year in Paris. In the list of guests of this 26th edition which takes place in the Royal Monceau, there are many awards like Kamel Daoud, Prix Goncourt, Gaël Faye, Prix Renaudot, Miguel Bonnefoy, Prix Femina, Sandrine Collette, Prix Goncourt des Lycées and Olivier Norek , Renaudot price of high school students.
Other authors have been invited like Cédric Sapin-Defour, author of the bestseller Its smell after the rain or Philippe Collin at the origin of the great success The Ritz bartender. However, with Melissa Da Costa, Thomas Schlesser, Valérie Perrin, David Foenkinos, Joël Dicker and Franck Thilliez, all will be absent from this lunch, revealed Release. The Stofxtag Youtubeur, who wrote Instinctalso refused to introduce himself.
The latter do not want to share a moment with Jordan Bardella, nor appear in the traditional group photo by his side. The president of the national rally was invited following the publication of his autobiography What I’m looking forat Fayard, who was a great success with 140,000 copies sold. From the first week, the book had exceeded the symbolic bar of the 25,000 pounds sold.
Other political guests have already participated
“That Bardella writes books, whom he sends them, that he has millions of voters, is one thing. But drinking champagne with him and pose next to him, that’s another,”, has notably criticized one of the writers, keeping anonymity, with France Inter. “No question of trivializing evil,” said another author. The writers denounce “a political communication operation” and deplore the lack of information around the arrival of Jordan Bardella, describing the event as a “watch Apens”.
L’Express defended itself: “We invite the authors of our record. This means that we also invite people we fight in the pages of the newspaper,” said the editorial director of L’Express, Eric Chol, as an example recalling the invitation of Eric Zemmour. Other policies have also already gone there as François Hollande or Simone Veil. The names of those who confirmed their presence for this year was not communicated, a line of conduct defended by the director of the media. Usually, there are around forty guests, a good part of which is in the company of their publishers.