“Facing woke obscurantism”: chronicle of a turbulent publication

“Facing woke obscurantism”: chronicle of a turbulent publication

Observers Collective

The Observers collective is the account for the collective forums of the laboratory: it expresses the point of view of all members.
A selection of talks and programs dedicated to the book "Face à l'obscurantisme woke".

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“Facing woke obscurantism”: chronicle of a turbulent publication

The book In the face of woke obscurantism had attracted media attention on Friday, March 7, during a press conference given at the Collège de France by the historian Patrick Boucheron.

In the eye of the storm, the publication of the book was suspended on March 12 by the PUF editor, Paul Garapon, citing "the current national and international political context." Faced with what can legitimately be called censorship, the three coordinators of the book, Emmanuelle Hénin, Xavier-Laurent Salvador, and Pierre Vermeren, redoubled their efforts to alert public opinion, and the publisher decided to release the book.

The pressure from woke activists continued right up until the very day of the book's publication. On Wednesday, April 30, the PUF offices in Paris were the target of a wild collageThe inscription "Feminists against fascist propaganda" was displayed on the windows of the publishing house.


Below is a selection of recent talks and broadcasts about the book, which is off to a great start (topping the bestseller list on several platforms) and is already being reprinted.



We talk about it elsewhere than in France...

In the English-speaking world:

https://brusselssignal.eu/2025/03/french-publisher-halts-book-criticising-woke-ideology-amid-political-backlash

In the Spanish-speaking world:

https://www.eldebate.com/cultura/20250312/izquierda-ejerce-musculo-censor-francia-logra-editorial-cancele-libro-anti-woke_278145.html

https://www.eldebate.com/educacion/20250401/hora-frenar-imposicion-cultura-woke-universidad_283822.html

In Italy:

https://www.ilfoglio.it/esteri/2025/03/15/news/-forse-sansal-non-lo-rivedremo-vivo-appello-all-onu-sotto-scacco-delle-dittature-7518740

https://www.laverita.info/woke-face-obscurantisme-2671313577.html



“tamen hoc animo semper fut, ut invidiam virlute paitam, gloriam, non invidiam pularem”
(Cicero, catilines, 1, 29)

"My feeling has always been that complaints based solely on our having done our duty are not complaints, but praise."
(translation by Abbot d'Olivet)

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Observers Collective

The Observers collective is the account for the collective forums of the laboratory: it expresses the point of view of all members.
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