diff --git a/odf2legi/odf2legi.py b/odf2legi/odf2legi.py
index ba6accc..371dfa4 100644
--- a/odf2legi/odf2legi.py
+++ b/odf2legi/odf2legi.py
@@ -968,6 +968,15 @@ def convert_to_legi_xml(content, metadata = None):
             if speaker_annotation is not None:
                 if speech: # there was a speech, pop it
                     current_top.pop()
+                if current_top[-1].tag == 'book':
+                    if current_top[-1].getchildren()[-1].tag == 'nosection':
+                        # This is a CRI(COM), and there's a speaker up in the
+                        # document introducing the seance, before any structure.
+                        # Fiddle around the document to change from <nosection>
+                        # to <preface>
+                        current_top.append(current_top[-1].getchildren()[-1])
+                        current_top[-1].tag = 'preface'
+
                 speech = ET.SubElement(current_top[-1], 'speech')
                 current_top.append(speech)
                 ref = ET.SubElement(speech, 'ref')