Award-winning author Maylis Besserie discusses the art of fictionalising the real lives of artists, from Francis Bacon to Samuel Beckett and W. B. Yeats. Her work gently probes the border between fact and fiction, creating stories that reimagine history, challenge perceptions, and uncover the blurred boundaries between reality and imagination.

In the final instalment of her Irish-French trilogy, Francis Bacon’s Nanny shines a light on the life of a little-known and yet central character in the life of one of Ireland’s greats. Jessie Lightfoot, a nanny from Cornwall, was a protector for Bacon, guarding him not only from the violence of his father but from his own excesses.

This final act marks the culmination of the author’s fascination with the lives and legacies of the artists who split their time between Ireland and France. In this intriguing conversation, Besserie will discuss the ways in which literature and art can subvert conventional narratives and challenge audiences to reconsider even the most familiar stories.

Maylis Besserie’s connection with Ireland started when her family sent her to spend summers in Ireland to learn English. Yell, Sam, If You Still Can (Le tiers temps) was her first novel. It won the Prix Goncourt du Premier Roman 2020 and was the runner up for the 2023 Scott Moncrieff Prize. Francis Bacon’s Nanny (La nourrice de Francis Bacon) won the Prix du Roman des Écrivains du Sud 2023.

This event will be chaired by Irish art critic and author of the bestselling memoir Negative Space Cristín Leach. Her art criticism has appeared in The Sunday Times Ireland since 2003 and on RTÉ TV, radio and digital services since 1998.

Presented with support by the French Embassy In Ireland.