Conversation with French Star Journalist and Bestselling Author Anne Sinclair

At Online Event via Zoom

The French Library is honored to welcome iconic journalist and bestselling author Anne Sinclair for the American release of her book, In the Shadows of Paris.

It is a privilege to offer you her first virtual appearance in America for her most recent work.

The interview will be led by Dr Guila Clara Kessous, professor and human rights activist who is also UNESCO Artist for Peace. During this interview they will discuss Anne Sinclair’s lastest book, which is based on her family history as well as her writing process.

This event will be a Zoom webinar, after the interview you will be able to ask your questions to Anne Sinclair via the chat.

Online event in English

If you are unable to attend this day, register now and get the recording of the event to watch at your leisure.

Member

Non-member

$12

About Anne Sinclair

Anne Sinclair was born in New York City and moved to France with her family as a young girl. There she rose to fame, in part due to her family's vast collection of paintings by Picasso, Braque, Matisse, and Léger, which she would become heir to, but also because her prominence as a highly regarded broadcast journalist led to her serving as the model for statues of Marianne, the national emblem of France, symbolizing liberty. From 1984 to 1997 she hosted 7 sur 7, France's most popular Sunday evening news show, similar to CBS's 60 Minutes. During that time she interviewed many world figures, including Bill Clinton, Mikhail Gorbachev, Shimon Peres, and Prince Charles. She is the author of numerous bestsellers in France.

About the Book

"This story has haunted me since I was a child.” So begins Anne Sinclair in her bestselling account of her journey to find answers in this age of rising anti-Semitism worldwide - answers about the life of her grandfather Leonce Schwartz.

In the Shadows of Paris is part memoir, part historical document revealing a lesser-known chapter of the Holocaust: on December 12, 1941, the Nazis carried out a mass arrest - in French, the word is rafle, but there is no equivalent in English that captures the horror-of einflussreiche Juden, as the Germans put it. For that there is an equivalent: "influential Jews."

These doctors, professors, artists - only men at the upper levels of French society - were then imprisoned less than fifty miles from Paris in the Royallieu-Compiègne concentration camp. Those who did not perish in Frontstalag 122 were deported on the infamous cattle cars to Auschwitz and other death camps, except for the few to escape that fate. Leonce Schwartz was one of them.

Where to order the Book :

Harvard Book Shop

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Books-A-Million

Bookshop.org

About Guila Clara Kessous

Dr. Guila Clara Kessous is a theater artist, professor and an executive coach who has been nominated UNESCO Artist for Peace and Peace Ambassador from the Universal Ambassador Peace Circle notably for her work in collaboration with Nobel Peace Prize Malala Yousafzai using drama to help girls’ empowerment in Pakistan and in Burundi. Recipient of the Women Empowerment Award 2020 from the Global Gift Foundation for her work with women victims of excision in Congo, she became « Rising Talent » from the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society in 2020 for her dedication in times of COVID-19 to support medical teams, nurses and patients in remission using resilience through art of storytelling and drama techniques.

As recipient of an Executive MBA from ESSEC Business School, a PhD from Boston University under Nobel Prize Elie Wiesel’s direction, and a Post-Doc from Harvard University, she was invited to develop the communication course of the new certificate on « Situational Intelligence » at the Political Science Institute in Paris in 2021. She is the author of 3 books, which you can find here.

Partners

This event is made possible thanks in partnership to the Harvard Book Shop and Kales Press.

Upcoming Events

See All Upcoming Events

Wine Seminar: Champagne

Gastronomy & Wine program: Your French Culinary Arts and Wine Journey

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Join us in our Gallery for the next Wine Seminar, dedicated to the Champagne region of France. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, our series is tailored to provide a deeper understanding of French wines, refine your wine-tasting skills and vocabulary, and foster confidence in conversations, selections, and pairings. We will provide you with an authentic French perspective and access to a splendid array of quality wines.

Social & Community

Study in France Info Session

ONLINE INFO SESSION IN ENGLISH

Monday, August 24, 2026

Learn all about our language immersion program in partnership with the Accent Français language school in France!

Performing Arts & Screenings

Ciné Club Series: Manon des sources by Claude Berri

DISCUSSION WITH BARBARA BOUQUEGNEAU

Friday, August 28, 2026

Set amid the sun-drenched hills of Provence, Claude Berri's Manon of the Spring is a moving story of justice, forgiveness, and the enduring consequences of human choices.

See All