On Thursday, November 20 at 7 PM, Jacqueline Couti of Rice University had the incredible opportunity to engage in conversation with Lola Lafon, one of France’s leading feminist writers and musicians, at Baskets Bookstore. The event, organized by La Villa Albertine and the French Consulate, brought together members of the Houston community for a rich discussion about Lafon’s acclaimed book, When You Listen to This Song, 2025 (Quand tu écouteras cette chanson, 2022).
In 2021, Lafon spent a night alone in the Amsterdam Annex, where Anne Frank hid, reflecting deeply on memory, trauma, and the stories women tell about confinement and survival. Author of The Little Communist Who Never Smiled (La petite communiste qui ne souriait jamais, 2009) and based in Paris, Lafon shared her insights with Couti, a specialist in French and Caribbean studies who explores gender, race, and identity in transatlantic cultural discourses.
A truly inspiring evening connecting literature, music, history, and the power of women’s voices!
