Sophie Pedder, Paris Bureau Chief of The Economist, joins the French-American Foundation for a luncheon to discuss her new book, Le déni français: Les derniers enfants gâtés de l’Europe (The French Denial: The last spoiled brats in Europe), released in French in September 2012.

In her book, Pedder examines the French “spoiled brats” who refuse to face economic realities as many other nations across Europe and the world have been forced to do. Pedder warns of the consequences such a “denial” on the part of the French and an ever-growing deficit will have for Europe’s second largest economy, drawing on examples from neighboring nations to provide a prescription for economic stabilization and prosperity. 

Sophie Pedder has been Paris bureau chief for The Economist since 2003, writing about French politics and economics. She joined The Economist in 1990 and has covered European politics, the global media industry, British home affairs, and South African politics. She served as Johannesburg correspondent between 1995 and 1998. Before working for The Economist she was a research assistant for William Julius Wilson at the University of Chicago.

Pedder is the author of two Economist special reports on France (1999 and 2006), as well as others on Nigeria (1993), South Africa (1995) and television (2002). Her essay "Blairkozy ou Ségoblair?" was published in French in "Désirs de France" (Editions Michalon, 2007), and "La Rupture Allegée" appeared in "Sarkozy vu d'Ailleurs" (Editions Michalon 2008). She appears regularly on French television and radio, and won the 2006 David Watt journalism prize.

For more information, contact Patrick Lattin at plattin@frenchamerican.org.