Patricia Blanchet · The book
The interview
Patricia
Interview conducted by Bertrand Bipot
When no one was expecting such literary depth, such prose seemingly dipped in Beelzebub's own seed, Patricia, a biography of the celebrated shoe designer the whole world envies us for, written by her son, burst into bookshops without warning, like an outrageously unexpected French kiss.
Meet the man who is revolutionising the publishing world like no one before him. Except perhaps Plato.
Bertrand Bipot : Renaud, how did this utterly mad, wildly exhilarating idea for a novel about your mother come about?
Renaud : As I became more involved in Patricia Blanchet's social media, I gradually grew more comfortable expressing myself, and my writing became considerably longer and more elaborate. Little by little, my posts gathered momentum and took on a life of their own. I went from short posts to a sprawling universe where the mundane and the marvellous collide.
Bertrand Bipot : You certainly spread your wings in quite spectacular fashion. I noticed a real turning point on Patricia Blanchet's social media. Could you tell us when it happened, and how?
Renaud : I was making a cherry clafoutis after a sleepless night of wild debauchery, and my thoughts turned to Anaïs Nin, then to One Thousand and One Nights.
Bertrand Bipot : That's quite a leap. Care to explain?
Renaud : I'd spent the evening partying, knocking back one bottle after another. By the early hours, my body was crying out for its sugar fix. So I threw myself into the first recipe that came to mind.
« I went from short posts to a sprawling universe where the mundane and the marvellous collide. »
Bertrand Bipot : I was talking about the literary project.
Renaud : I immersed myself in these two works, which filled me with a fierce desire to live, to conquer and to write.
Bertrand Bipot : And so, to write to Patricia.
Renaud : Not quite. Before that, I started writing a collection of short stories about sodomy.
Bertrand Bipot : A fascinating subject. A deep one, too. Where can we read these stories? And which publisher was bold enough to publish them?
Renaud : None, actually. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed my writing, but when it came to actually publishing it, there was nobody left.
So, for now, my short stories about sodomy have been put on the back burner, although one of them is currently being considered by Marvel. Apparently, they're looking to develop an adult branch of their comics.
And why not? It would give me more time to devote myself to pastry-making. There's a clafoutis competition in Cincinnati at the end of the year, where the greatest masters of the art will gather. I'd love to take part, so that France can make a strong showing in this truly extraordinary contest.
Bertrand Bipot : But back to Patricia, the very reason we're having this conversation. How on earth did you come up with the mad idea of inventing such a frivolous tale?
Renaud : It all began with an epic Facebook post in which I placed Patricia at the heart of a romantic adventure. She found herself aboard a flying carpet piloted by a Persian man who had fallen hopelessly in love with her. As they flew over Paris, they met a genius who had somehow ended up selling raclette cheese. It was tremendous fun, and completely bonkers. Once I'd finished writing it, I posted it on Facebook, and then…
Bertrand Bipot : And then what happened? Tell us, Renaud. France is trembling. The nation demands answers.
Renaud : The moment it went online, the likes came flooding in. A tidal wave of hot, sweaty love swept over the page. Furious comments and handfuls of sweet words poured onto Patricia Blanchet's Facebook page. It was both incredibly moving and terribly exciting. We even got a call from Facebook France asking whether our page had crashed.
There was an outpouring of praise. It was lovely. Amid all those wildly enthusiastic messages, I received around a dozen offers from publishing houses eager to meet me. I was delighted, because I love writing, and flattered that a whole flock of female editors were courting me, thinking they were dealing with Patricia.
« A tidal wave of hot, sweaty love swept over the page. »
Bertrand Bipot : Why did you choose to work with Le Seuil?
Renaud : Because they'd published Lacan and Barthes, and I wanted to help restore them to their former glory. Also, because I talked about Carpenter and 1970s cinema with my editor at Le Seuil. That sort of thing inevitably brings people together.
Bertrand Bipot : How did you manage to step into your mother's shoes so effortlessly?
Renaud : I'm an only child, I've worked with her for years, and we have Jewish roots. You might as well say we're practically joined at the hip. And I love getting under other people's skin. Nothing to do with Hannibal Lecter, mind you.
Bertrand Bipot : What did Patricia think of the book? Did she like it? Did she ever feel, perhaps, a little betrayed?
Renaud : She was thrilled with the project, and with the sheer brilliance with which I brought her life to the page.
Bertrand Bipot : Proud?
Renaud : She had a large part of the book printed as wallpaper and put up all over her apartment. Every night, she moves her bed so she can fall asleep reading a different passage.
Bertrand Bipot : And what about your father? How did he react?
Renaud : He loved the book, but he's decided not to speak to me again until I've written one in his honour, just to even things out.
Bertrand Bipot : Can you give us a little sneak peek at what's coming next?
Renaud : I'm currently finishing a biography of Henri Krasucki, packed with revelations that are bound to cause quite a stir. Few people knew that this seemingly unassuming trade unionist was also a tremendous ladies' man, with more conquests to his name than Warren Beatty and Alain Delon put together.
Once that's finished, it'll be time for me to turn my attention to the most outrageous soap opera ever written.
« She moves her bed every night so she can fall asleep facing a different passageway. »
Novel
Patricia
A mother at 18, married at the same age. Here is the story of a life that sparkles, makes you laugh, moves you to tears and plants one great big French kiss right on your gaping mouth. Oh, and did I mention my son is a writer too?”
An exuberant, wildly entertaining family saga, spanning Algeria, France, Spain and Italy, from Paris to California, from the Drugstore on the Champs-Élysées to the Eram shoe shop in Alfortville. A fictionalised autobiographical novel, cathartic, exuberant and bursting with life.