The publication of the memoir Le Consentement in January 2020 by Vanessa Springora triggered a significant shift in French public discourse regarding the age of consent. Detailing her experiences as a teenager, the work reached bestseller status and prompted direct legal and social reactions across the French publishing industry and government institutions.
Early Education and Academic Background
Born in Paris in 1972, Vanessa Springora completed her secondary education at the collège Jacques-Prévert and the lycée Fénelon. She pursued advanced studies in modern literature at the Sorbonne University, where she earned a Diplôme d'études approfondies. She also attended the Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión to refine her technical skills.
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Before leading the publishing house Éditions Julliard in 2019, Springora established a professional profile in both media and literature. She joined the Institut national de l'audiovisuel in 2003, working as a writer and director. Her film credits include the 2006 production Dérive and the 2016 television series Quotidien. She served as an editorial assistant at Éditions Julliard starting in 2006, eventually managing the firm until her departure in September 2021.
The Impact of Consent
In Le Consentement, Springora documented the persistent grooming and sexual abuse she endured from author Gabriel Matzneff, beginning when she was 14 and he was 49. The book exposed the long-standing exploitation Matzneff had previously documented in his own writings, such as the 1995 work La Prunelle de mes yeux. The memoir's release led to the revocation of Matzneff's stipends and the cessation of his publishing contracts. Furthermore, it spurred the French government to codify an age of consent at 15. In 2023, the book was adapted into a film directed by Vanessa Filho.
Fast facts
- Born: 1972, Paris
- Citizenship: France
- Education: Lycée Fénelon, Paris-Sorbonne University, Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión
- Award: Jean-Jacques-Rousseau Award (2020)
- Memoir: Le Consentement (2020)
- Film directorial work: Dérive (2006)
- Role: Head of Éditions Julliard (2019-2021)
Questions readers ask
What was the primary subject of the book Consent?
It is a memoir detailing the author's experience of being groomed and sexually abused by Gabriel Matzneff starting at age 14.
Did the book influence French law?
Yes, its release prompted the French government to implement a legal age of consent of 15.
