On Thursday, April 3rd, 2025, Grade 10 students at LfiSV took part in a virtual literary conference with the Swiss author Eugène, writer of “Lettre à mon dictateur” (Slatkine, 2022). This meeting was part of the 7th edition of the European High School Literary Prize, a project bringing together French high schools across Europe around the reading of contemporary works by living European authors.
Organized by Mmes Bourasseau and Presa from the Lycée Français de Vienne, the project invited students to explore four selected novels:
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Lettre à mon dictateur by Eugène (Switzerland)
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Les Huit Montagnes by Paolo Cognetti (Italy)
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Le Café sans nom by Robert Seethaler (Austria)
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Soleil amer by Lilia Hassaine (France)
These works offered a fascinating diversity of cultural and historical perspectives: Ceauşescu’s regime in Romania, the landscapes of Italy’s Aosta Valley, the rebuilding of Vienna after 1945, and the Algerian immigration experience in France during the 1960s.
The online conference, hosted by the Lycée Français de Zurich, gathered five schools: Zurich, Vienna, Bucharest, Hamburg, and Düsseldorf. Eugène, also an actor, introduced his book in a highly original way — by performing its opening pages — before answering the students’ questions. Representing LfiSV, Bogdan and Evgeny actively participated in the discussion.
This encounter allowed students to gain a deeper
understanding of the political background described in the book, particularly surrounding Ceaușescu’s regime, and to enrich their reading through direct dialogue with the author.
The final phase of the prize took place between late May and early June, with each school organising a vote to elect the students’ favourite novel. At LfiSV, this vote followed several weeks of reading and class discussions. Students also explored the novels during French lessons with Ms. Trutin, while German-speaking students benefited from Ms. Barsotti’s course, reading Robert Seethaler’s novel in its original German version.
This project greatly nurtured students’ literary curiosity, enhanced their critical thinking skills, and encouraged intercultural exchange.
Congratulations to all participating students for their dedication and to their teachers for their invaluable support!
