Édouard Louis: 'Family is permanent war'

French author Édouard Louis, 33, has gained global recognition for his unflinching portrayal of a childhood marked by poverty, violence, homophobia, and racism within his family.

In a conversation held in his Paris apartment, Louis reflected on his relationship with his family before he began writing about them. "I was born gay into a family that hated everything I was: my way of being, my way of desiring," he stated. "They lived in a world, in a social class, where they had been taught that. For that reason, I felt very distant from my family even in my childhood."

Louis's work delves into the painful process of liberation that comes from confronting and articulating these traumatic experiences. His writings offer a stark look at the societal and familial forces that shaped his early life, resonating with readers worldwide who connect with themes of identity, belonging, and the struggle for self-acceptance against difficult circumstances.

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I was born gay into a family that hated everything I was: my way of being, my way of desiring. They lived in a world, in a social class, where they had been taught that. For that reason, I felt very distant from my family even in my childhood.