In Conversation with Jean-Baptiste Andrea

Tue 23 Sept
Books & Ideas
Talks

Join Goncourt-winning author Jean-Baptiste Andrea for the UK launch of his bestselling novel Watching Over Her.

‘A sprawling fresco and star-crossed love story’ NEW YORK TIMES
‘An inventive epic’ ELLE

Set in 20th-century Italy, Watching Over Her opens in a monastery where Mimo, a dying sculptor, recounts the extraordinary path that led him from poverty to artistic fame—and to Viola, the daughter of a powerful aristocratic family. Spanning decades of turmoil, from fascist rule to personal and political awakening, this sweeping love story traces the fates of two lives shaped by art, conviction, and longing.

Originally published in France as Veiller sur elle (L’Iconoclaste, 2023), Watching Over Her was translated by Frank Wynne and published by Atlantic Books on 28 August 2025. The novel received the Prix Goncourt and the Grand prix des Lectrices de ELLE, and has sold over 700,000 copies.

The evening will conclude with a book signing, with copies available for purchase onsite with our partner bookshop, Librairie La Page.

  • Price: £10, conc. £8, students £5
  • Room: Les Salons
  • Ages: 12+

Bookings

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About Jean-Baptiste Andrea

Jean-Baptiste Andrea is a writer, screenwriter and director. In 2023, Watching Over Her was published to great critical and commercial success, having been awarded the Prix Goncourt, the most prestigious French literary award, and selling over 700,000 copies. His debut novel, Ma Reine (2017), won twelve literary prizes in France, including the Prix du Premier Roman and the Prix Femina des Lycéens. He is also the author of A Hundred Million Years and a Day (2019) and Devils and Saints (2021).

The event is organised in partnership with Atlantic Books.

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