Anne Serre

Born in Bordeaux, Anne Serre is the author of 17 works of fiction

Her first novel, Les Gouvernantes (The Governesses) was published in 1992 and praised by La Croix for its ‘remarkable economy of style’. Among her distinctions are a 2008 Cino del Duca Foundation award and the 2020 Prix Goncourt de la Nouvelle for her short-story collection Au coeur d’un été tout en or. A Leopard-Skin Hat is the fourth of her books to appear in English, and was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025.

A deeply romantic yet platonic love story between the narrator and his complicated childhood friend

— The 2025 judges on A Leopard-Skin Hat

Read more on Anne Serre

An extract from A Leopard-Skin Hat by Anne Serre, translated by Mark Hutchinson

The story of an intense friendship between the narrator and his close childhood friend, Fanny, who suffers from profound psychological disorders

Image of A Leopard Skin Hat book cover, author and translator

An interview with Anne Serre and Mark Hutchinson, author and translator of A Leopard-Skin Hat

With A Leopard-Skin Hat shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025, we spoke to its author and translator about Gide, Nabokov, and their favourite childhood reads

Reading guide: A Leopard-Skin Hat by Anne Serre, translated by Mark Hutchinson

Whether you’re new to A Leopard-Skin Hat or have read it and would like to explore it more deeply, here is our comprehensive guide, featuring insights from critics, our judges and the book’s author and translator, as well as discussion points and suggestions for further reading.