Book Club 13: Happening

Co-hosted by Janine & Laura + rotating community co-hosts

Our October book club pick is Happening by Annie Ernaux.

About this book: In 1963, Annie Ernaux, 23 and unattached, realizes she is pregnant. Shame arises in her like a plague: Understanding that her pregnancy will mark her and her family as social failures, she knows she cannot keep that child.

This is the story, written forty years later, of a trauma Ernaux never overcame. In a France where abortion was illegal, she attempted, in vain, to self-administer the abortion with a knitting needle. Fearful and desperate, she finally located an abortionist, and ends up in a hospital emergency ward where she nearly dies.

In Happening, Ernaux sifts through her memories and her journal entries dating from those days. Clearly, cleanly, she gleans the meanings of her experience.
--from Goodreads

🤷‍♀️ Didn’t finish the book? Haven’t started? Only here for feminist hot takes, collective unlearning, and good vibes? Perfect. We’re a no-pressure, no-expectations book club. Come exactly as you are.

⚠️ Content note: This book discusses eating disorders, body image, and misogyny. Please take care of yourself and feel free to step out or skip this session if needed.

📍 Where: Books Books Books, Lausanne

⏰ When: Thursday, June 25th at 18:30
(about 1.5 hours + optional post-book-club hangout!)

You can grab the book through our lovely host BooksBooksBooks, or listen to the audiobook if that feels more accessible right now.

Sign up for our newsletter to know which parts we’re focusing on — or simply show up and wing it. Bring your thoughts, your questions, your complicated feelings about mirrors, magazines, and the male gaze. We can’t wait to unpack this one together 💜📚✨

What to Expect

A 90-minute guided conversation led by Laura, Janine, and a rotating community co-host
A warm, welcoming, non-judgmental space
Thoughtful discussion, honest sharing, and room for complexity
A mix of regulars and first-timers — everyone truly is welcome
Time afterward to browse, chat, and connect

Who This Is For

Anyone who wants to:

read more feminist books,
have meaningful conversations,
meet new people in Lausanne,
interrogate beauty, power, capitalism, and self-worth,
or sit with thoughtful humans for an hour and a half (in English).

RSVP Etiquette

Space is limited. Please adjust your RSVP if your plans change so someone else can join.

We’re looking forward to reading feminist books with you!

Your co-hosts,
Janine & Laura