In Hotel Exile, Jane Rogoyska evokes in novelistic prose the emotions, dilemmas, and fates of the hotel’s patrons. When war came, Paris was occupied, and the hotel became the headquarters of the German military intelligence service―and the centre of their operation to root out enemies of the Reich.
How do we think about war? How do we imagine it, picture it and explain it? Adam Rutherford hosts Radio 4’s discussion programme which starts the week, asking what we can learn about ourselves from our varied intellectual and cultural responses to conflict.
Starting off as a novice photographer with strong political motivations, Gerda Taro became well known during the Spanish Civil War, only to sadly become the first woman photojournalist to have died covering the frontline of a war, aged 26.
Jane Rogoyska’s ‘Hotel Exile’ has been selected for the American Library in Paris 2026 Book Award Longlist. Created in 2013, the Book Award builds on the Library’s century-long tradition of bringing France, its culture and history into dialogue with the wider world. It is open to books in all genres, originally published in English.
In Hotel Exile, Jane Rogoyska looks beyond the famed bohemian image of the Hotel Lutetia in Paris, to reveal the dark and devastating role this iconic Left Bank institution played in the Second World War. To learn more, we asked Jane about her research, writing process, inspirations and more.
Jane Rogoyka will be appearing alongside fellow shortlistee Lyse Doucet and chair of non-fiction judges Thangam Debonnaire at the Observer Book Club Live: A Night with the Women’s Prizes on May 7th 2026, 6.30pm, at 22 Berners Street.
Six exceptional books have made the 2026 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction shortlist.
Jane Rogoyska will be in conversation with Anna Sebba at Daunt Books Marylebone on 26th March 2026 at 7pm.
I will be speaking on Times Radio on Saturday 28th February between 3-4pm with Alexis Conran, and will be giving an online talk for the Historical Association on 4th March at 7pm.
On Monday 23rd February 2026, Jane Rogoyska will be appearing at The Tabernacle, Notting Hill, in their fantastic 5 x 15 series.