Editorial: Moral Order and Censorship in French Literature

Jacques Henric's editorial in art press denounces the rise of moral censorship in France, citing two recent cases. The first involves a complaint by the association L'Enfant Bleu against the novel "Rose bonbon" by Nicolas Jones-Gorlin, published by Gallimard. Henric criticizes the misuse of the Jolibois law, which conflates fictional representations with real crimes, and laments the weak response from the literary and publishing world, including Gallimard's hesitation to defend the work. The second case is the upcoming trial of Michel Houellebecq for comments on Islam in Lire magazine, while noting that Renaud Camus continues to post antisemitic content online without similar legal action. Henric questions the double standard and the broader threat to freedom of expression.