Photo : ©Laura N'Safou
Writing workshop "Building imaginary worlds", led by Laura N’Safou
Forget the usual weekend routine and dive deep into the craft of world-building with a renowned storyteller who turns creative writing into an empowering act. This session is designed for aspiring writers eager to shape new realities through the lens of intersectional literature and bold storytelling. Unlock your potential and learn how to breathe life into the worlds living inside your head.
Bibliothèque François Villon (Paris 10th)
About
The François Villon library hosts author Laura N’Safou on Saturday, October 31, 2026, for a creative writing workshop centered on building imaginary worlds. From 15:00 to 17:30, participants are invited to explore the narrative techniques required to construct deep and coherent fictional settings. This literary event is open to anyone aged 14 and over who wishes to develop their writing skills under the guidance of an influential figure in contemporary Afro-feminist literature. Participation is entirely free, and the venue is fully wheelchair accessible, ensuring everyone can join this creative session in the 10th arrondissement.
Born in Orléans on 07/21/1992 to a Congolese father and a Martinican mother, Laura N’Safou published her first novel at the age of 16.
During her readings, she quickly realized that the black French woman in Europe is not represented in French feminist literature. She then created the blog Mrs Roots (http://mrsroots.fr/) and decided to dedicate her writing to highlighting the plurality of African and Afro-descendant literatures and to Afro-feminism in France. She draws inspiration from the American black novelist Toni Morrison (1931-2019), Nobel Prize in Literature and Afro-feminist activist, to whom she pays tribute in her novel Ecrire avant l'aube (Editions Albin Michel Jeunesse, 2025).
Since 2017, Laura N’Safou has not stopped writing. Writing to bridge this void of representation to which she would have liked to be able to identify during her readings. "Writing so that it is no longer possible to say once again: I did not know", she displays on her blog.
Through the life stories of her characters - such as Adé, a little girl with kinky hair mocked by her classmates (Comme un million de papillons noirs, Cambourakis, 2018) or Elikia, a young woman confronted with an Africa where the sun has disappeared (trilogy Nos jours brûlés, Albin Michel, 2021), Laura N’Safou sometimes relies on reality, often on the imagination, to question racism, self-acceptance, sorority, grief or even polyamory (Amours croisées and Amours croisées, celles que nous étions (Marabulles, 2022 and 2026, drawings by Camélia Blandeau), through the prism of Afro-feminism. She has also recently participated in the writing of the book Pour la joie, une ode à la résistance poétique et politique. A collective militant work that places joy at the heart of the struggle and emancipation.
Tools of struggle for the visibility of Afro-descendant people in Francophone literature and against stereotypes, the writing and the diversity of formats that Laura N'Safou uses (novel, youth album, audiobook, comic strip…) allow her to fill the abyss observed in the French literary landscape and testify to her abundant literary production.
To go further, interviews with Laura N'Safou:
"Écrire avant l'aube", Laura Nsafou's vibrant tribute to Toni Morrison - À l'Affiche ! - France 24
Our take on this event
Join novelist and activist Laura N’Safou for a masterclass dedicated to the craft of world-building. Drawing on her extensive experience across genres, from picture books to speculative fiction, the author shares her methodology to help you structure your own narrative projects. Whether you are a beginner or looking to refine your storytelling abilities, this session provides a supportive environment to explore how imagination can serve as a lens through which we examine our reality.
The workshop takes place on Saturday, October 31, 2026, from 15:00 to 17:30 at the Bibliothèque François Villon in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. It is designed for attendees aged 14 and up. Admission is free for all participants. The library facilities are fully wheelchair accessible, making it easy for everyone to attend and engage with the material during this two-and-a-half-hour session.
