Author, activist, literary superstar, and now, Cannes jury member. Leïla Slimani just landed one of the most iconic roles in the film world: helping decide who takes home the Palme d’Or at the 78th Cannes Film Festival this May.
She’ll be one of the select few watching 21 films in competition and making the big decisions. So if you’re wondering who she is and why her name keeps popping up in both bookstores and news headlines, here’s a little more about her.
Her Backstory: From Rabat to Global Literary Fame
Leïla Slimani was born in Rabat, Morocco, in 1981 and later moved to Paris. She writes in French, splits her time between France and Portugal, and has two kids.
Her work lives right at the intersection of culture, politics, and storytelling, and she’s not afraid to speak up about things others shy away from.
Before she was judging films, she was already judging (and winning) major literary prizes, writing bestsellers, and representing French culture at a national level. Basically: she’s busy, and the world is watching.
Her Books: From Murder Mysteries to Historical Trilogies
Adèle
Leïla Slimani’s first novel is all about a woman living a double life in Paris. It’s messy, it’s layered, and it dives deep into questions of control, desire, and self-destruction.
Lullaby / The Perfect Nanny
This is the one that made Leïla Slimani internationally famous. It opens with a murder and works backwards to unpack what went wrong.
It won the Prix Goncourt in 2016, making her the first Moroccan woman to win France’s most prestigious literary award. There is even a movie adaptation, bringing this masterpiece to the screen.
In the Country of Others
This is the start of Leïla Slimani’s historical fiction trilogy based on her own family. Set in post-WWII Morocco during the decolonization era, it zooms in on the life of her grandmother, a French woman married to a Moroccan soldier.
Watch Us Dance
Book two in the trilogy. This one moves to the 1960s and ’70s, focusing on her mother’s generation and their dreams of revolution and what happens when those dreams don’t quite work out.
Avec J’emporterai le feu (I Will Carry the Fire)
The final book in her family saga trilogy follows Mia, a woman caught between Morocco and France, and between personal memory and political legacy. It wraps up the trilogy with themes of lineage, freedom, and what it means to belong, emotionally, politically, and historically.
Leïla Slimani’s Core Themes: Disillusionment and Identity
Slimani’s stories often explore the tension between personal freedom and societal expectations, but her favorite theme? Disillusionment. She loves to delve into the disillusionment of motherhood, the disillusionment of exile and immigration, and the disillusionment of failed political dreams.
Her characters often look like they have it all together, but something underneath is always quietly unraveling.
Her Prize Shelf: From Prix Goncourt to Vanity Fair’s Top 50
Leïla Slimani has a shelf full of awards. On top of the Prix Goncourt, she won the Mamounia Prize for her debut novel and the Simone de Beauvoir Prize for her activism around women’s rights in Morocco.
In 2018, she was ranked #2 on Vanity Fair France’s list of the 50 most influential French people in the world. In 2023, she chaired the International Booker Prize jury. So, yes, she’s got the global literary scene on lock.
Slimani in Politics: Chosen by Macron to Promote French Culture
Slimani isn’t just a writer; she’s also been active in politics and cultural diplomacy. President Macron personally picked her as his representative for promoting the French language and culture around the world in 2017.
What’s Next: Taking a Seat at the Cannes 2025 Jury Table
And here we are: Cannes 2025. Slimani joins a powerful jury tasked with picking the best of the best at one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. It’s a full-circle moment for someone who’s spent years exploring storytelling, justice, and human nature. Books, politics, culture, and now cinema. She really does it all.
From bestselling novels to big cultural roles, Leïla Slimani moves between worlds—literary, political, and now cinematic. Whether she’s telling stories or judging them, she’s always bringing bold, thoughtful energy to the table.
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