L'École de la vie. Liberté. Égalité. Invisibilité. - Jérémy Lempin
Since 2023, Jérémy Lempin has met people of all generations living with illiteracy. His long-term investigation traces an invisible yet massive divide: in France (mainland and overseas territories), 3.7 million adults struggle with basic skills. Long thought to affect only older generations, these difficulties also reach the young: a quarter of those concerned are under 30.
These stories don't only tell of academic failure or difficulty with words. They tell of shame, the strategies to hide it, the fear of being judged — but also the immense courage it takes to come back and learn.
Hemeria excels in delivering high-quality photobooks with excellent printing, beautiful paper, and expert craftsmanship. Customers praise their responsive customer service, fast shipping, and careful packaging. The store offers stunning photography collections and demonstrates exceptional care for customer satisfaction, quickly resolving any delivery issues.
264 pages, 150 color photographs
Format: 22 x 29 cm
Hardcover, bound
In the Nord region, Jérémy Lempin followed the story of Léon, 74, who worked for over 30 years as a former team leader—despite having forgotten how to read at the age of 14.
That of Audrey, 40, a mother of three, who returns to the classroom for refresher courses in math and French so she can help her children with their homework.
That of Lola, 14, dealing with family difficulties; and Honora, 9, placed in foster care.
Through their accounts and those of Alain, 47, Geoffrey, 14, Angélique, 38, and Réjane, 52, he tells of lives shadowed by the shame of being unable to decipher the world around them. Doing the shopping, filling out paperwork, booking a medical appointment, helping with homework, withdrawing money, or simply reading a recipe—every task is a struggle.
In French Guiana (where, according to a parliamentary report, illiteracy is three times higher in the French Caribbean and Réunion than in mainland France), Jérémy Lempin met, among others, Éliane, 14, and her mother Élia, 50, as well as Sylvana, 32, and Patricia, 25. In a territory where 67% of families are single-parent households and each home has an average of 4.5 children, twenty languages are spoken, and written command of French competes with these widely spoken languages.
216 pages on 140gsm offset paper, full-color printing on both sides (4+4), in sewn 16-page signatures
6 eight-page signatures with flaps, on 150gsm glossy coated paper
Tipped-on endpapers
Cover: debossed title on a covering paper
2.5mm (25/10) board
Headbands
Removable belly band
This book was made possible with the support of the Mots & Merveilles association, Crédit Agricole Assurances, the Nord department, and the ANLCI.
Your purchase is essential support for the work of the artists we champion.
Thanks to our exclusive partnership with printmodel® we have access to cutting-edge technology that surpasses industry-standard quality.
Standard & Express Tracked Shipping
Free shipping on orders over €150
14-day money-back guarantee
Jérémy Lempin
Jérémy Lempin is a documentary photographer. From one project to the next, his work explores not so much categories as ways of living with hardship, loss, or the invisible.
Press Reviews
« L’illettrisme, une réalité méconnue documentée par le photographe Jérémy Lempin. […] Pour les personnes concernées, accomplir des gestes à première vue banals, comme faire ses courses, prendre un rendez-vous ou lire une consigne, devient une épreuve. »
« Dans la salle principale de la médiathèque de Bruay-sur-l’Escaut, des visages et des expressions semblent nous interpeller. Dans un monde où le langage écrit est omniprésent, comment vivre lorsque la signification des mots nous échappe ? Près de 3,7 millions de Français sont concernés par l’illettrisme ou l’innumérisme. Jérémy Lempin a voulu les représenter en collaborant avec l’association Mots & Merveilles pendant deux ans. »
« La dignité retrouvée des mots : plongée dans la France de l’illettrisme. En France, des millions de personnes vivent sans maîtriser la lecture, l’écriture ou le calcul. Un handicap social massif, discret, souvent honteux, qui enferme, isole et fragilise la démocratie. Le photographe Jérémy Lempin en documente les visages, du Nord à la Guyane en passant par Paris et Bordeaux. »
Why Choose Hemeria?
Our best ambassadors are our customers. Find out what they think of our books.
In an increasingly dematerialized world, we use all the assets of digital technology to continue to ensure that the physical book, paper, and photography continue to exist. Because, yes, a book can be touched, offered and shared, it is a living, durable material.
We have warehouses in France, USA and Canada to deliver all around the world. You can pay with Apple and Google Pay, Secured Credit Card or Paypal. We exchange for free any damged book during transport.