Before the traditional Book Fair on May 16,17 and 18, the comedy of the book, 10 days in May offers large evenings that combine literature with music, image or drawing.
A great interview with Kamel Daoud
It is the Algerian writer and journalist who opens this 40th edition of the Comedy of the Book. The Goncourt 2024 Prize will discuss his work and his fights
Read also: The Franco-Algerian writer Kamel Daoud, Prix Goncourt 2024, opens the 40th comedy of the book this Friday, May 9 in Montpellier
Musical recital and readings with Aeham Ahmad
In his autobiography, the Yarmouk pianist, the musician Palestino-Syrien tells how he had to flee his country because of Daesh. Extracts from this powerful account will be read by Stéphanie Grousset while he is on the piano.
Mediterranean, stories of a Kaleidoscope continent
The author of BD Héraultais Aurel, who has just released Mediterranean, stories of a Kaleidoscope (Futuropolis) continent joined forces with a double bass player Renaud Garcia-Fons for a musical and drawn evening of improvisation.
The siege of Mosul, a contemporary epic
The epic poem and war report in Alexandrians delivered by Félix Jousserand on the Battle of Mosul is set to music by the cellist Bruno Ducret. An oral and musical performance between medieval trobar and chanting poetry.
Max Rouquette, the Messenger Shadow
The novelist, poet and playwright Occitan Max Rouquette left us 20 years ago. Since then, the poet Aurélia Lassaque has published an anthology of her poetry. To revive the work of Montpellier, she delivers here a poetic and musical recital with two voices. She is accompanied by the Cylsée musician. An introduction to the work of Max Rouquette will be proposed by the writer and publisher Jean-Claude Forest.
Pierre Ducrozet: self -portrait without me
A duo voice and keyboard-guitar offered by Jean René and Pierre Ducrozet, follows the latter’s work, Self -portrait without me (Mercury of France), in which he crosses the moments and places of his existence.
Large interview with David Foenkinos
The guest of honor of this 40th edition will present his new novel Everyone loves Clara (Gallimard)
-40 year old evening
It was Maylis de Kerangal who was chosen to offer a musical and literary evening celebrating the 40th edition of the Comedy of the Book. It is accompanied by the Montpellier National Orchestra and its chief Roderick Cox.
“Cross the mountains, and come to be born here”
A musical reading of Marie Pavlenko and Maëva Le Berre according to the novel by Marie Pavlenko, on the meeting of a young Syrian refugee and a bereaved mother.
Give it to me! Sex Women Music
Through a reading-project, the Spanish tattoo artist and illustrator La Rata pays homage to the popular singers, some of which have been forgotten.
3 questions to Régis Penalva, the artistic director of the Comedy of the Book
Aimed by two international arrest terms, Kamel Daoud will open the book comedy – 10 days in May. Did you hold it?
The Goncourt Prize is invited every year to Montpellier. But, beyond that, which happens to Boualem Sansal sentenced to five years in prison, which threatens Kamel Daoud, is extremely serious. We may not like their books, we can disagree with some of their positions, but we do not enclose writers for crime of opinion.
David Foenkinos is the guest of honor for this 40th edition. Why this choice?
He is one of the most loved writers of the French, a popular author in the most noble sense of the word. If the programming of the festival highly highlights the new voices, the young talents, the rare texts, the independent edition, it seemed to me essential to also be able to count on the presence of some great unifying works: David Foenkinos, Jean-Christophe Rufin, Maylis de Kerangal…
Reading seems to be losing speed in France. Can book comedy help stimulate reading?
Each literary festival is an invitation to reading. The comedy of the book – 10 days in May is there for that: to reveal the extraordinary role that books can play in our lives, individual and collective. Reading is vertiginously increasing its openness to others and the world.
