Resistance by Agnes Humbert

“Looking for Agnès: a tale of passion and paper trails”
Tuesday 26th May, 7pm at The Mainstreet Trading Company

“Looking for Agnès” at The Mainstreet Trading Company was another sell out evening.  This time the audience enjoyed a fascinating talk from Barbara Mellor, translator of Résistance by Agnès Humbert.

Barbara was full of passion and knowledge about her subject – a much neglected heroine of the French resistance, who described herself merely as “the typist”.  The story told in Agnès’ diary of resistance, her imprisonment in France and subsequent forced labour in Germany, is utterly inspiring, but so too is the background of her book.  It has never before been available in English (Bloomsbury have now sold it in over 10 languages), and was only known in French intellectual circles.  In the most part this was due pressure from Agnes’ own son who was ashamed of her communist leanings. 

Copies of the paperback are available at The Mainstreet Trading Company (£8.99).