« Pour me réveiller, on m'acheta des livres. »

4 June 2026

The panel (above) comes from Marjane Satrapi's critically acclaimed graphic novel, Persepolis. The text inside the speech bubble reads: « Pour me réveiller, on m'acheta des livres » ("To awaken me, they bought me books"). This is a direct quotation from Simone de Beauvoir's 1958 autobiography, Mémoires d'une jeune fille rangée (Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter). Satrapi embeds this prose into the visual landscape of her graphic memoir, connecting her own coming-of-age story to French existentialism. In doing so, she frames her education as an intellectual awakening, demonstrating how Western philosophy provided essential tools for navigating the seismic societal shifts of the Iranian Revolution.

Photograph of Marjane Satrapi (2003) taken by photographer Pascal Victor in Paris, France

Earlier today, I was saddened to learn about the death of Marjane Satrapi, the renowned French-Iranian artist, filmmaker, human rights advocate, and writer.

Born in 1969 in the Caspian coastal city of Rasht, Satrapi had an international education, beginning at Le lycée français de Téhéran. At the age of 14, she moved to Austria to continue her studies at Lycée français de Vienne before returning to Iran to attend the Tehran School of Fine Arts. Ultimately, she obtained a master's degree in visual communication from the Islamic Azad University.

In the mid-1990s, Satrapi relocated to Strasbourg, France, where she studied art and illustration at La Haute École des arts du Rhin.

In 2006, she acquired French citizenship.

Satrapi is perhaps best known for her groundbreaking graphic novel, Persepolis. Originally published in four volumes between 2000 and 2003, it chronicles the author's childhood and young adult years in Tehran and Europe, offering a firsthand look at life before, during, and after the Iranian Revolution.

This story, followed by the 2007 film adaptation, serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring power of creativity and critical thinking.

In honor of Satrapi's memory, here is a link to the French version of the film: https://lycees.netocentre.fr/POD/video/7700-persepolis/