Lolita Séchan is a French writer and illustrator known for the graphic novel “Les brumes de Sapa” (2016) and the children’s book “Cachée ou pas, j’arrive! (2020).
Wiki / Biography
Lolita Séchan was born on Saturday August 9, 1980 (41 years, from 2021), in Paris, France.
Childhood photo of Lolita Séchan with her father
She grew up accompanying her singer father on his tours, while skipping classes at school. From childhood, her parents enrolled her in Montessori schools; Montessori method of education helps children to develop natural interests and activities instead of using formal teaching methods. Studying in Montessori schools sparked sparks of creativity in Lolita. It was his father who introduced the classics of Franco-Belgian comics such as Tintin, Yakari and Chlorophylle. Then, she came across the book The Quest for the Time Bird written by Serge Le Tendre and illustrated by Régis Loisel. In the book, Loisel’s work in the book intrigued his passion for drawing. Subsequently, she began to read Mangas, comics or graphic novels originating in Japan. From an early age, she took drawing lessons and wanted to become an illustrator. Speaking of her childhood, in an interview she said,
I have been protected and loved. I have always been in contact with creative adults. This childhood does not necessarily prepare to face the world of adults. On the other hand, it arouses an imagination. I have already told stories to the little ones “
At 19, she moved to Montreal, Canada, where she studied psychology, cinema, drawing and literature.
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 5 ′ 5 ″
Hair color: Noir
Eye colour: Dark brown
Family
Parents and siblings
Lolita Séchan’s father, Renaud Séchan, is a popular French singer, songwriter and actor who is known for his studio albums Laisse Concrete (1977), Morgane de toi (1983) and Winning Mistral. His mother, Dominique Quilichini, was an actress in the troupe of French actor Coluche. Dominique quit her career when she got pregnant with Lolita. After Lolita’s birth, Coluche becomes her godfather. Renaud and Dominique divorce when Lolita is 18 years old.
Lolita Séchan with her father, Renaud Séchan, and her mother, Dominique Quilichini
His paternal grandfather, Olivier Séchan, was a French writer, who won the Prix des Deux Magots in 1942 for the novel “Les corps ont thirst”. Later, Olivier Séchan became director of the famous Hachette publishing house. Subsequently, Olivier gained popularity as a writer of children’s books. After the separation of Renaud and Dominique, Renaud Séchan married the French singer Romane Serda. Together, Renaud and Romane have a son Malone Oscar Olivier Séchan-Serda (born in 2006).
Renaud Séchan and Romane Serda
Husband and children
Lolita Séchan was married to French singer-songwriter Renan Luce. The couple met in 2007 during Renan’s concert at La Cigale. Together, they have a daughter, Héloïse, born on August 3, 2011. Séchan and Luce separated in 2016.
Lolita Séchan and Renan Luce
Career
After finishing film school, she became an assistant director for the Canadian-British comedy thriller “Wanted” (2003) directed by Brad Mirman.
Film Wanted (2003) directed by Brad Mirman
Subsequently, she stopped working as an assistant director and moved to Montreal to focus on writing. Her first novel “Les Ashes de Maman” appeared in 2005 after she had worked there for five long years. The novel tells the story of a little girl’s journey in search of her mother, who is kidnapped by the chimney sweep.
In 2009, she illustrated and co-wrote the book “Todo Loco, Tome 1”, with Emmanuel Grard.
In 2010, she is the author of the book “Marshmalone” (named after her half-brother Malone) in which she tells the story of the arrival of her little brother in her life. In an interview, while talking about her book, she said:
I wanted to talk about the arrival of this little brother in my life as an only daughter with all that that implies. At the beginning, it was very hard to share my father, today I am very happy.
In her 2016 graphic novel “Les brumes de Sapa” (The mists of Sapa), she recounts having befriended a young girl named Lo Thi Gôm, belonging to the oppressed minority of the Hmong ethnic group, during her trip to Vietnam in 2002. For the book, she was chosen among the six finalists for the Prix de la BD Fnac (2017), the French prize awarded each year to a comic strip from the Fnac brand.
Subsequently, she wrote An Escape from Bartok Biloba (2018) and Everyone Should Stand Quiet by a Small Stream and Listen (2018). In 2020, she co-wrote and illustrated the children’s book “Cachée ou pas, j’arrive! (Ready or not, I’m coming!), In the company of Camille Jourdy, French illustrator, screenwriter and author of comics.
Hidden or not, I’m coming!
The book features Bartok Biloba, a mole, and Nouk, a girl with a named kitten tail and ears. In the book, the characters play hide and seek and explore many places. The book was nominated for the Bologna Ragazzi Award (2021) in the Comics category for young readers at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. In June 2021, his illustrations by Bartok Biloba were exhibited on a Morris Column, historic advertising street furniture in Saint-Gratien, France.
Lolita Séchan’s illustrations exhibited on a Morris column in Saint-Gratien
Favorites
- Movie: Gone with the Wind (1939)
- Authors): Emmanuel Carrère (French author) David Grossman (Israeli author),
- Novelist (s): Philip Roth (American novel), John Irving (American novel)
- Comic artist: Katsuhiro Otomo
- Designer: Jean-Jacques Sempé
- Talk show: The Great Bookstore
- Singers): Yael Naim (Franco-Israeli singer), Vincent Delerm (French singer-songwriter)
- Fictional person: Ellen Ripley from the Alien film series (1979-1997)
Facts / Anecdotes
- She uses the nickname Lola Séchan for the Instagram account.
- Lolita Séchan was the winner of the first edition of the “Miss Space 2008” competition.
- She is a hypochondriac, that is, someone who lives with the fear of having a serious, undiagnosed illness, even though diagnostic tests show that there is nothing wrong with her. She sees a doctor at least once a week and has about 41 doctors on her call list, which includes dermatologists, ophthalmologists, physiotherapists, cardiac surgeons, and many other specialists. She developed this fear after watching an episode of the historic American drama television series “Little House on the Prairie” in which one of the protagonists lost their sight.
- She sometimes enjoys consuming alcoholic beverages.
- Lolita Séchan has a pet cat. She posts various photos with her cat on her Instagram account.
Lolita Séchan with her cat
- She follows a non-vegetarian diet and enjoys eating ham and chicken breast.
- She is lactophobic, a person who hates consuming milk.
- By dint of drawing for hours, she suffers from tendonitis and rotten necks.
- In an interview, she revealed that although she had the opportunity to become a songwriter, she did not pursue it because songwriting does not interest her. She said,
I had a proposal to write songs, but that’s not my thing. And above all, it refers to too many personal things. Comics are my domain, they belong only to me. I have always taken drawing lessons … “
- She is a passionate toy collector. In an interview, while talking about her habit of collecting toys, she said:
I collect toys. I am always told that when I have a child, I will lend it to her, but I don’t want to, they are mine. For me, it’s also a way of protecting myself.
- In 2020, for the 14th edition of the Inventories of Saint-Gratien (Val-d’Oise), Lolita Séchan launched her first exhibition at the Center Culturel Forum, place François-Truffaut. Every year since 2005, this event has allowed an illustrator to artistically describe the city of Saint-Gratien, giving it a unique vision.
- His father, Renaud Séchan, dedicated various songs to him, such as Morgane de toi (1983), Mistral winner (1985), Les Mômes et les Enfants avant! (2019). The cover of the song Morgane de toi (1983) featured Renaud carrying Lolita in his arms.
Cover photo of the song Morgane de toi (1983) with Renaud Séchan and Lolita Séchan
- In May 2021, she was charged with racism over a comment she made on masks made in China. She posted a photo of the cover of the protective masks she bought for her children, which indicated that the masks were made in China, with a caption that read:
Is it so difficult to do it in France? Well, it’s not won “
An excerpt from Lolita Séchan’s Instagram post
His remark received a lot of criticism on the Internet. While explaining that she had no problem with Chinese manufacturing and that she just regretted that France did not invest more in short circuits. In her following Instagram story, she posted the caption which read,
I thought I was talking about ecology in fact. Local manufacture. Short circuit logic. About a product that was lacking at a time when it was essential. Is it racist to find it absurd to bring something from the other side of the world that you can make here because there is an emergency? “
- In July 2021, she was attacked by her pet cat after the neighbor’s dog scared the cat.
Lolita Séchan showing her scraped forearm with bite marks
