‘Act of family vengeance’: French defamation case highlights perils of writing autofiction

AI Summary
French historian Cécile Desprairies is facing a defamation lawsuit from her brother and cousin over her 2024 novel, *La Propagandiste*. The plaintiffs allege the book, which they describe as an "act of family vengeance," falsely depicts their late relatives as Nazi collaborators. They are seeking to have the book withdrawn and pulped. Desprairies' novel, inspired by her own childhood, falls into the autofiction genre, a blend of autobiography and fiction that has gained popularity in recent years. The case highlights the legal risks authors face when writing about personal experiences that involve real people, particularly when those portrayals are perceived as negative or inaccurate. The lawsuit raises questions about the boundaries between personal expression and the potential for harm to others.
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