Lila Says (

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

title: ''Lila dit ça'') was first published in

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

in French and translated in Greek in 1997 and in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...

. The author's name is only listed as a

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

, Chimo. It was adapted into a film.

Plot summary

''Lila Says'' is a narrative of the protagonist's — Chimo, an Arab boy living in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

— interactions with a girl named Lila. Lila is 16 and lives with her catholic aunt; Chimo is 19 and lives with his mother, who works as a cleaner, and sister. Both live in an low income housing estate of tower blocks called Oak Tree estate. Lila is very beautiful and does – according to Chimo – not really fit in, because she is special in all regards. He is, like anyone else who knows her, fascinated and attracted by her. She teases him with her body and her sexuality and her intimate and provocative stories. He did not have much perspective in life, but she has what it takes to change his attitude and she gives him perspective. He likes writing but has to hide for doing that as he would be ridiculed if others would find out. Lila inspires him and he focusses on writing about her, her life and their encounters. He tells the story of how he makes intimate experiences with her - such as on a slide and on a bike - and about his life at the bottom of society. The process of writing the novel is part of its story and he describes his thoughts whilst writing it.

Notes

The author's real name is not revealed. The publisher's note in the book states that a manuscript was dropped off by a lawyer and they never had a chance to interact with the author. This led to some assumptions they had to make in the text that was published. Kate Moss named her daughter Lila after this boo

Book information

''Lila Says'' (English edition) by Chimo. *Hardcover - published by Charles Scribner's Sons, Scribner

Footnotes

1996 French novels Novels set in France Works published under a pseudonym French novels adapted into films Plon (publisher) books {{1990s-novel-stub