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The ex-president of France is preparing a book next month named Notes from a Cell, which recounts the period endured in jail.

The revelation emerged just 11 days following the former president gained freedom as his appeal proceeds the court ruling for criminal conspiracy in a case to acquire presidential race money linked to the government of Muammar Gaddafi.

Prison Experience: Solitary Musings

“In prison one sees little, and nothing to do,” he writes in an extract, implying the memoir is more about his musings during seclusion rather than extensive analysis of the overcrowded and crisis-hit correctional facilities in the country.

“Silence escapes me, not present in La Santé, where noise is endless commotion,” he states. “The racket is alas constant. Yet, similar to barren lands, one’s inner world is strengthened while incarcerated.”

Court Appearance: Describing the Ordeal

While appealing for release, he was present by video link from his cell, describing his time inside as draining. He expressed in court: “I wish to commend the correctional officers, showing great humanity, and who have made this difficult experience bearable – since it’s deeply troubling.”

“I didn’t expect that at 70 years of age, I’d be in prison. It’s a trial I must endure. I admit it’s difficult, it’s very hard. It has an impact all who experience it because it’s gruelling.”

Historical Context

He, who led the nation between 2007 and 2012, was the first ex-leader from the EU and the initial post-WWII figure from France to serve time in prison.

Before entering jail he had said he intended to spend the period to write a book.

Reading Material

It is not certain if he found the opportunity to read and critique the texts he took into prison: a biography of Jesus in two parts together with Dumas’s work The Count of Monte Cristo, where a blameless person is sentenced to jail but escapes to seek vengeance.

Prison Conditions

He was placed in isolation due to safety concerns in a cell of about nine sq metres with his own shower and toilet in the Paris jail located in the capital. Security personnel occupied the next cell.

Reports indicated his diet consisted solely dairy snacks while inside due to concerns any food may have been contaminated. Options were available to prepare his own meals yet he declined, as per accounts. It is uncertain if the memoir includes meals during incarceration.

Lawyer’s Statements

The legal representative, who visited his client every day while he was in prison, informed the court he would be safer outside jail than inside. “He has faced menacing messages, heard shouts during nighttime and the urgent intervention in a neighbouring cell when a prisoner self-harmed.”

Charges and Sentence

Sarkozy went to prison in late October after a Paris court sentenced him to a five-year sentence for illegal collaboration related to a plan to secure political donations for his 2007 presidential race.

He disputes the charges and has appealed against the verdict, and a fresh trial is scheduled for the coming spring.