On October 19, join acclaimed author Thomas Schlesser as he will discuss his newly released novel, Mona’s Eyes (trans. by Hildegarde Serle, Europa Editions). 

Thomas Schlesser will be joined by Patrick Bringley, the New York Times bestselling author of All the Beauty in the World, a memoir about his decade as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Mona’s Eyes  is an inspiring journey across five centuries of art with 10-year-old Mona and her grandfather Henry. They have only fifty-two weeks to encounter all that is beautiful in the world before Mona loses her sight forever. Together, Mona and her grandfather will experience a full range of emotions; their enchantment as well as their sadness will be complete. From Botticelli to Basquiat, Mona will discover not only the power of art but also the meaning of generosity, doubt, melancholy, loss, and revolt.

At once a profoundly moving and beautifully crafted novel about the fullness of life and an enthralling guide to the world’s most renowned art, Mona’s Eyes is, at its core, a story about the deep and moving relationship between a young girl and her grandfather.  Heartfelt and full of emotion, erudite but accessible, Mona’s Eyes is a novel about love and beauty that will capture the hearts of readers.

The event is in English and free. Click here to RSVP.

The event is co-organized with Villa Albertine and is a part of its Authors on Tour and 2025 Literary Fall programs.

Thomas Schlesser is an art historian and the director of the Hartung-Bergman Foundation in Antibes, France. He teaches Art History at the École Polytechnique in Paris and is the author of several works of nonfiction about art, artists, and the relationship between art and politics in the 20th century, including Luminous Lives – a Biography of AnnaEva Bergman (trans. by Charles Penwarden, Eris Press). Mona’s Eyes (trans. by Hildegarde Serle, Europa Editions) is Schlesser’s second novel and his American debut. It has been translated into thirty-eight languages, including Braille. Schlesser is a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres and was awarded 2025’s Author of the Year by Livres Hebdo.

Patrick Bringley is the New York Times bestselling author of All the Beauty in the World, a memoir about his decade as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The book was named as best of the year by outlets including the New York Public Library, Financial Times, and the Sunday Times (London), and became a global hit. Bringley is starring in an Off-Broadway solo play he adapted from his book at the DR2 Theater, directed by Dominic Dromgoole, former artistic director of London’s Globe Theatre. He has been featured by NPR, the New York Times, BBC, and others, and has lectured at leading institutions such as the Met, the National Gallery of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. 

Photos credit: © Pascal Ito