French Center of Excellence Hosts Lecture on Book Burning with Professor Nicolas Valazza

The French Center of Excellence hosted its first guest, University of Indiana at Bloomington Professor of French, Nicolas Valazza, for the Autumn 2025 semester on October 9 in Thompson Library. Undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, and community members joined to discuss Professor Nicolas Valazza's new work entitled "Le Livre enflammé. Fictions et poétique de l'autodafé". Professor Valazza engaged his audience with a themes of destruction, renewal, and change by exploring his new project surrounding writings by Victor Hugo in a time when France and French identify were undergoing massive shifts. We thank Professor Valazza for his time and a wonderful experience for all involved!