The children will return after Epiphany

Genre(s):

• Novella
• Initiation story
• Historical fiction (18th century)

Keywords:

• Childhood
• First loves (LGBT)
• School and education
• The Enlightenment
• Nature (moutains)
• Prejudice

Audience: suitable for all audiences of all ages; fans of LGBT literature

Right sold abroad: /

Concept

The first childhood love between two young boys in the countryside during the Enlightenment. One of the first preschool teachers defends them against prejudice.

Universe and references

• Film Jane Eyre (Zeffirelli’s adaptation) and stories about nannies or governesses
• Pastor Oberlin and the men of the Enlightenment
• The invention of preschool

Pitch

March 1767 in the middle of nowhere in the Vosges Valley. Inspired by Pastor Oberlin, a young woman named Sara Banzet gathers together the toddlers and starts to teach them. As she teaches others, she also learns a few lessons herself and gradually invents what would become preschool.
But how do these little students react to what she is gently teaching them? And what exactly is going on between those two little boys, Nicko and Claude, who share such a passionate friendship?

Author

A doctor of literature in comparative literature, Olympia Alberti lives in Nice. Her work is known for its rigueur and depth and she has been the recipient of numerous awards (the French Academy’s poetry award, the “Prix des Créateurs” award, and the essay award from the “Société des gens de lettres.”)

At a glance

• Short story
• Word count: 53,000 characters including spaces
• Available material in English: this presentation (including an overview of the work’s characteristics) and a translated excerpt