Venue Change: This event will take place at Granville Island Stage.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Anne Berest’s The Postcard is one of the biggest literary sensations in Europe this century. Winner of multiple prestigious awards, and called “profound,” “brilliant,” and “stunning,” it is a remarkably moving and stylish work of fiction… based on a true story. An anonymous postcard is delivered to the Berest family home, bearing names of her maternal great-grandparents and their children, all killed at Auschwitz. Anne of the novel is moved to discover who sent it and why. What follows is a story of adventure across countries, a family saga and, ultimately, a reminder of how stories can shatter certainties. One of Europe’s most celebrated authors will speak with Marsha Lederman about family history and secrets in the face of abject destruction. Moderated by Marsha Lederman.

Presented in partnership with the Consulate General of France in Vancouver and Alliance Française Vancouver.

Event Participants:

Anne Berest

ANNE BEREST is the bestselling co-author of How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are and the author of a novel based on the life of French writer Françoise Sagan. She is also the author of Gabriële, a critically acclaimed biography of her great-grandmother, Gabriële Buffet-Picabia, Marcel Duchamp’s lover and muse. The recipient of numerous literary awards, The Postcard was a finalist for the Goncourt Prize and has been a long-running bestseller in France.

Marsha Lederman

MARSHA LEDERMAN is an award-winning journalist and author. She is columnist for The Globe and Mail, where she was previously Western Arts Correspondent for 15 years. Her bestselling memoir Kiss the Red Stairs: The Holocaust, Once Removed was published by McClelland & Stewart in 2022.