Illustrator and comic book artist Pénélope Bagieu first rose to prominence with her humor blog Ma vie est tout à fait fascinante. During her studies at the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, she directed the short film Fini de rire, which earned selections at several international film festivals.
In 2008, she wrote and illustrated the comic book Joséphine, which was later adapted into a featire film starring Marilou Berry in the title role. Her thriller graphic novel Exquisite Corpse (Cadavre Exquis) won the Prix SNCF du Polar at the Angoulême International Comics Festival in 2011. Following collaborations with renowned artists such as Boulet and Joann Sfar, she created California Dreamin’, which received the prestigious Harvey Award for Best European Book. Her landmark two-volume work, Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World (Culottées), became a global phenomenon and was adapted into a successful animated series for France 5. Most recently, in 2025, she co-authored La Nuit retrouvée with Lola Lafon.
This year, Pénélope Bagieu takes over from Lola Lafon as the President of the International Panorama Jury. On this occasion, she will reflect on her multifaceted career and the creative bridges between graphic storytelling and audiovisual production in a masterclass illustrated with selected clips.
The conversation will be moderated by journalist Marie Telling (Télérama).
In addition to her Masterclass, you can meet Pénélope Bagieu for a dedicated book signing at Furet du Nord Lille on Thursday, March 26, from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
