A new essay by Lou Lootgieter explores the hidden queer themes in Francophone literature, tracing its development from the late 19th century to today. Titled Les Dessous lesbiens de la littérature, the work follows Lootgieter’s earlier co-authored book Les Dessous lesbiens de la chanson, which examined the music of artists like Barbara, Brigitte Fontaine, and Juliette Armanet. Illustrated by Julie Feydel, the essay revisits the works of lesbian icons such as Monique Wittig and Virginie Despentes, while also uncovering the subtexts, underlying questions, and "strategies of concealment" used by authors over time. Lootgieter highlights how Mireille Havet used a male alter ego in 1922 to depict her passionate love for the countess of Limour, and how George Sand transformed the object of her desire, actress Marie Dorval, into a comedian in La Marquise (1832) to avoid censorship. The essay also discusses Colette's use of her husband's name as a pseudonym for Claudine à l’école (1900), as well as original readings on the lesbian subtext of Françoise Sagan's Bonjour tristesse, Amélie Nothomb's Stupeurs et tremblements, and the novels of Marguerite Yourcenar. The work does not merely catalog queer narratives but combines interviews with academics and authors, personal analyses, and historical contextualizations. Lootgieter analyzes the avant-garde writing of Monique Wittig, Nina Bouraoui, and Anne F. Garréta, emphasizing how the desire to break away from binary frameworks and heteronormative society has led to experimental language and challenged "dominant narratives." More conservative figures such as Marguerite Yourcenar are juxtaposed with the anti-validist thought of Frieda Ekotto, author of Chuchote pas trop (L’Harmattan), and the anti-colonialism of Léonora Miano, who seeks to dispel "the false idea that these emotional and sexual relationships are a European practice." The essay revisits the reception of radical texts such as Virginie Despentes' Baise-moi and Constance Debré's Love Me Tender, showing how homosexuality is often silenced or relegated to the background. The essay is described as an essential work that fits into the vein of queer studies in academic circles, giving queer narratives their rightful place. It is seen as a necessary popularization effort to counter conservative offensives in the world of books. The book, published by Points/“Points Féministe,” is 336 pages and priced at 12.90 €, with availability in bookstores on June 5.