I am a scribe. I have spent nine years recording what other men do and say and decide. I am reliable. I am discreet. I was selected for this commission precisely because of those qualities.
In the summer of 1240, I was appointed to document the Disputation of Paris — the trial of the Talmud, in which twenty-four cartloads of Jewish manuscripts were condemned to burn. I recorded the charges faithfully. I recorded the defense. I recorded the verdict.
What I did not record is what this book contains.
Part One · Exordium
Chapter One
The Scribe's Hand
The pen does not tremble. This is what I tell myself.
I have been a scribe for nine years. I have recorded wills and sentences, treatises and treaties, letters of excommunication, inventories of the dead. Once — I was twenty-two, newly appointed, still grateful for every commission — I copied a letter from a knight to his wife that I understood, even as I formed the words, was a farewell. He had not written: I will not return. He had written instead about the light on the river at Auxerre, and the smell of the courtyard in autumn, and how he hoped the eldest boy was applying himself to his Latin. He had written these things and I had copied them faithfully, every word, my hand moving without ceremony across the parchment, because that is what a scribe does. The hand does not feel what it writes. The hand is an instrument.
I have believed this for nine years.
I am beginning to believe it less.
Keep reading — it's free
Sign in once and we'll keep your place on any device.
Free to read. Signing in saves your place and records reading time so we know which chapters work. See our privacy notice.
“The argument was made. Whether it was preserved is another matter.”
Review contest · 53 days left · closes 30 November
Read it. Review it.
Win a signed copy.
Would you stay silent if it kept you safe?
“In the present situation, silence was a form of permission.” — Chapter VI
Read the book free
Right here on this site. 17 short chapters, about two and a half hours.
Post your review
On TikTok or Instagram, post it on your own account and tag our account with #WouldYouStaySilent #LeGreffier. On Facebook, comment your review under our pinned contest post.
Get the most likes
The 3 valid reviews with the most likes on 2 December win.
The prizes
1st place
Top Reader #1
- A signed printed copy of Le Greffier
- A book of your choice (up to ₦10,000), delivered to you
- An exclusive shoutout on our post, Story and TikTok
- Your review featured first on the Readers' Wall
- A “Top Reader #1” certificate
2nd place
Top Reader #2
- A signed printed copy of Le Greffier
- A book of your choice (up to ₦5,000)
- A shoutout on our post, Story and TikTok
- Your review on the Readers' Wall
- A “Top Reader #2” certificate
3rd place
Top Reader #3
- A signed printed copy of Le Greffier
- A shoutout on our post, Story and TikTok
- Your review on the Readers' Wall
- A “Top Reader #3” certificate
Every valid entry gets a thank-you mention in our Stories and a place on the Readers' Wall.
- Entries close
- 30 November, 11:59 pm
- Likes counted
- 2 December
- Winners
- 3 December
Open to readers in Nigeria aged 18 or over. Closes Monday, 30 November, 11:59 pm, Lagos time. Not run by or connected with Facebook, Instagram or TikTok.
What readers are saying
The Readers' Wall
The first reviews are on their way. Post yours and it could be the first one here.
Questions
Is it really free?
Yes. The whole novel is free to read here. No payment, no trial, nothing to buy.
Do I need to sign up?
You sign in once with Google or your email address, so the site can save your place and you can continue on any phone or computer. There is no password, and we never post anything for you.
Can I download it?
No. You read it online, in your browser. If you would like to keep a copy, the paperback and Kindle edition are on Amazon.
How long is it?
17 short chapters, about 2.5 hours in total. Most chapters take under ten minutes.
Is it a religious book?
No. It is a historical novel about a real event: the 1240 trial of the Talmud in Paris, told by the royal scribe who had to write it all down. It is about conscience and truth, and it treats every faith in it with respect.
How are the contest winners chosen?
The three valid reviews with the most likes on 2 December at 6 pm win. If two are tied, the one with more comments wins. Bought likes, fake accounts or copied reviews are disqualified.
About the author
Francis Jeremiah Sharon
Francis Jeremiah Sharon is an author and freelance copywriter based in Nigeria. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike — a training in precision, evidence, and the careful reading of complex systems that has informed his approach to both fiction and nonfiction.
His debut book, The Illusion of Peace in Social Hierarchy, established his interest in the structures of power — how hierarchies form, how they sustain themselves, and what they cost the people inside them. It has been featured on Amazon and across the web.
Prefer paper or Kindle? Get Le Greffier on Amazon