Bibliotopia 2026 | Interview with Patrick Lemoine and Witold Szabłowski

Madness in Power
Moderated by Daniel Medin

Patrick Lemoine, a French psychiatrist and doctor of neuroscience, is the author of over forty essays and popular science books dealing with mental disorders, sleep and the placebo effect. Published by Odile Jacob, his works include "Histoire de la folie avant la psychiatrie" (with Boris Cyrulnik, 2018), "La santé psychique de ceux qui ont fait le monde" (2019) and "La santé psychique des écrivains et de leurs personnages" (with Sophie Viguier-Vinson, 2025). In these last two books, Lemoine dissects aspects of the lives of political and literary figures, and offers, not without humour, illuminating diagnoses of human frailties.

Witold Szabłowski is a Polish writer and journalist. A senior correspondent for "Gazeta Wyborcza", he has received numerous awards, including the European Parliament Prize for his investigations into migrants in Western Europe, as well as the English PEN Award and a prize from Amnesty International for his work on honour killings in Turkey. "Dancing Bears" (Text, 2018), "How to Feed a Dictator" (Icon, 2022), and "What’s Cooking in the Kremlin" (Icon, 2023) are all published in English in Antonia Lloyd-Jones’ translation. The last two pieces of literary reportage use the kitchen as a gateway to explore the madness of autocratic regimes.

Fondation Jan Michalski, Sunday 31 May 2026