Club de lecture: Jouer le jeu – Fatima Daas · in French

Our French reading group meets, as always, on the third Thursday of the month, and this time we’re reading Jouer le jeu, the second novel by Fatima Daas, author of the acclaimed La Petite Dernière.
Kayden is a high-school student in a working-class suburb outside Paris. She loves to write, and her French teacher, Madame Fontaine, sees her talent and pushes her to try for Sciences Po. Around Kayden are her mother Aïsha, her older sister Shadi and her friends. As the exam approaches and her feelings for her teacher grow, the novel opens questions about meritocracy and social class, power between adults and teenagers, desire, and queer identity. It’s a sharp and tender coming-of-age novel that won the Prix Gouincourt 2025, and it gives us plenty to talk about.
The group brings together native French speakers and people who read in French as a second language, so every level is welcome. If you’ve finished the book, come and share your reading. If you’re still halfway through, come and listen in.
Good to know

• Free entry, just come along on the evening
• The discussion is in French
• Jouer le jeu (Éditions Points) is available in the shop
• Drinks and small bites at our bar, with vegan options and plant-based milks

📍 Metis Books & Café · Gleimstraße 21 · 10437 Berlin (Prenzlauer Berg)
🗓 Thursday, 19 November · 19:00