Sanaë Lemoine — ”There’s something that’s almost unlocked when I begin writing on paper.”

Slow Stories

“The best stories are created when you surrender to uncertainty.” This is a quote from Sanaë Lemoine's debut novel, The Margot Affair. While the context is a work of fiction, these words embody the fact of what it means to live, work, and create in this day and age. If recent months have shown us anything, it’s that uncertainty is in abundance. However, if you ask Sanaë, uncertainty is something that's part of the process in prose—and life.

Born in Paris, raised between France and Australia, and currently based in New York City, Sanaë's global upbringing has given her plenty of stories to tell. Coupling this with her past professional experiences as a cookbook editor and writing consultant, her editorial prowess provided ample runway for her to write The Margot Affair. The story follows Margot Louve, a Parisian teenager who exposes a family secret—shattering her world and simultaneously throwing her into another, more adult one in the process.

Much like the evolution seen within The Margot Affair, the world beyond the pages of this story also changed drastically within the seven years it took for Sanaë to complete the book. In this conversation, she shares what she's learned both personally and professionally, how she's kept a steady pace even in a world of digital distractions, and why she believes in daydreaming—even when the days themselves are uncertain. This episode also opens with a story contributed by Jennie Vite.