A memoir by mass rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot is due to be published early next year.
Pelicot became known internationally last year when she waived her right to anonymity in a trial which saw her ex-husband found guilty of drugging and raping her, and inviting dozens of strangers to abuse her over nearly a decade.
A Hymn to Life will tell Pelicot’s story “in her words, offer solace and hope, and make a positive contribution to changing the conversation around shame and to changing the world”, said publisher The Bodley Head, an imprint of Penguin.
“I am immensely grateful for the extraordinary support I have received since the beginning of the trial”, said Pelicot. “I now want to tell my story in my own words. Through this book, I hope to convey a message of strength and courage to all those who are subjected to difficult ordeals. May they never feel shame. And in time, may they even learn to savour life again and find peace.”
Pelicot’s ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in December. Fifty other men were convicted of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault after Dominique contacted them online inviting them to rape his drugged wife.
Pelicot’s daughter, Caroline Darian, has filed a legal complaint against her father, accusing him of drugging and sexually abusing her when she was in her 30s.
Darian published a memoir in December titled I’ll Never Call Him Dad Again, translated into English by Stephen Brown. The book “offers a compelling perspective on what sexual abuse does to a family, its far-reaching repercussions within it, and how victims cope and can fight back”, wrote Agnès Poirier in an Observer review. “It is a story of resilience, lucidity and courage, told with force”.
Pelicot’s book will be published in English on 27 January 2026, simultaneously with the French edition and versions in 20 other languages. Pelicot “has become a global icon”, said Stuart Williams, publishing director at The Bodley Head. “We believe that her voice in this book will speak to many, for years to come.”
