At Maison Littéraire de Victor Hugo, we were welcomed by Director Christine Ponsignon and Mahaut Stefan, Chargée de Collection, into the world of one of history’s great literary voices.
We learned about Hugo’s exile, his anger, his tenderness, and his conviction that literature is not decoration. It can be resistance. He wrote Les Misérables in exile and used words to confront injustice with purpose, compassion, and love for humanity.
Later, we gathered with India Henderson and young leaders studying in France to reflect on Victor Hugo and Daisaku Ikeda—two figures separated by time and culture, yet united by a belief in human dignity and active hope.
We asked what that means for our generation and the world we are inheriting.
Then, together, we wrote a poem in Paris.
Some days you take photos to remember. Others write themselves into you.
