Édouard Louis, who became famous in his early twenties with his first novel about a childhood shaped by poverty and violence, has given a new interview. In it, the 33-year-old speaks about his difficult relationship with his family and the process of liberation. The conversation appears in the family section of Zeit.
Growing up in an environment marked by homophobia and racism, Louis felt alienated from his family even as a child. ‘I was born gay into a family that hated everything I was: my way of being, my way of desiring,’ he says. The family lived in a social class where they had been taught this rejection.
Writing about his origins has triggered scandals and changes, but also enabled a certain rapprochement. Nevertheless, a class distance remains that prevents true closeness. Louis’s works reflect the violence that family can generate and the search for understanding.
The author now lives in Paris and has freed himself from his former environment. The silence about family circumstances is still present in many families, says Louis. The interview provides insight into the painful but liberating process of writing about one’s own biography.
Source: www.zeit.de
