Have you ever had unusual encounters in waiting rooms, like your two characters? ?
Virginie Grimaldi. Ah, that’s a good question! (Laugh). No ! On the other hand, I have happened to meet people at the psychologist, and I find it terribly embarrassing even though we are all there for the same reason. So, we shouldn’t have to hide… There is a kind of common fear that can be seen on faces. I remember a gentleman I met in a waiting room, who was waiting for the results of a very important test, to monitor his lung cancer. I too was waiting for important news. Something had happened, we had changed a few words, it was an encounter that I have never forgotten, so yes, I find that strong things happen in the waiting rooms.
How similar are your two characters to you?
Vincent is a lot like me because he started writing out of necessity. Today, he still doesn’t have self-confidence despite his success, but he deeply loves his readers and writing. Elsa undoubtedly resembles me more in her journey as a daughter and mother, and in her fragilities. What is important about Elsa is the fact that she has long wanted to respond to the injunction to happiness and that today, she can no longer do so. She allows herself to get bad. That’s something I have in common with her…
Nine months ago, you lost your dad, who is also at the heart of this novel. What legacy did he pass on to you?
He gave me great freedom. I realize that he was a rebel, who never conformed to labels and what was expected of him. He was a complainer, I’m a big complainer! (Laugh). And above all he passed on his humor to me. He was an extremely funny person, he always acted stupid to make people laugh. It was also our language, like Elsa and her father in the book. It’s something we developed together and I believe it’s his greatest legacy.
Vincent boasts of having had 77 in Télé 7 jours against the 3 TTT in Télérama of an obscure author crossed in the evening! Nice wink…
(Laughs). I prefer to talk to people who look like me. I feel close to those who don’t care about appearances. As a viewer, I am very often closer to the opinions of Télé 7 jours than to those of Télérama. A publishing house conducted a survey of my readership: all social classes are represented, all ages and all sexes. I am extremely proud of it.
And your books are passed from mother to daughter, from friend to friend…
It touches me that people appreciate my books enough to want to share them with the people they love. There are even people who use my books to send messages, to make themselves better understood by those close to them. I remember a couple who announced to their respective mothers that they were going to be grannies with Dear Granny. To enter so much into the lives of families and to create a link between generations is something very strong for me.
On your Instagram account, you very often mention the works of your friends Serena Giuliano, Sophie Rouvier and Baptiste Beaulieu. This solidarity is beautiful…
These are magnificent encounters. I believe we have this need to write and this sensitivity in common. We have a WhatsApp group in which we communicate at least once a day, we see each other as soon as possible. We share the most important moments of our lives, whether they are happy or sad. We tell ourselves that we are very lucky to have found each other and that our lives have been much richer since we met.
