The Books & Music festival honors the traveler writer Joseph Kessel

After Françoise Sagan in 2024the book & music festival continues to Celebrate music as a source of inspiration of the writers By putting this year in the spotlight Joseph Kessel“Traveler writer whose summers spent in Deauville have inspired many pages of his novels,” recalls the Franciscan team, in Deauville (Calvados). The author will be in the spotlight throughout the festival through readings, concerts and meetings.

Joseph Kessel at the heart of this 22nd edition

As a plaque inaugurated on the boards in 2024 recalls, during the European Heritage Days, Joseph Kessel shared a piece of history with Deauville. “” From 1949 to 1965, the sixteen deauvillais of Joseph Kessel inspired several pages of his novels. It was at the Normandy hotel, out of season, that he finished writing his novel The riders. Joseph Kessel’s trips and nights were crossed by music, which roam his novels and articles. We will wake them up with Olivier Weber, author of Dictionary in love with Joseph Kessel and a Gypsy orchestra In the minds of those whom the writer adored, “promises the Franciscan team, announcing one of the highlights of this 22nd edition, on the evening of May 10.

Thus, in the heart of the chapel, with “the little and great music of Joseph Kessel”, a literary concert We will travel in these white nights of Joseph Kessel who “sing and dance on music from here and elsewhere” (7:45 pm, free by reservation). A concert led by Philippe Normand with Olivier Weberthe Formation Tsigane Diwano Dromensa et Célestine Roland With the guitar of Anna Marly, entrusted by the Caen Memorial, and readings by Jean-Marie Frin. The evening will be festive, continuing with a Gypsy ball in the chapel with Diwano Dromensa (9:30 p.m., free by reservation).

The day after, Sunday May 11a Meeting hosted by Philippe Normand will evoke ” Joseph Kessel, visionary, yesterday as today »With Annick Cojean, Colette Felous, Michèle Kahn, Hubert Prolurgeau and Olivier Weber (11 a.m., free by reservation).

Beyond his novels adapted to the cinema, Joseph Kessel, journalist and great reporter, was the lucid commentator of international news crossing Ukraine or staying in Afghanistan … He was attentive to the rise of nationalisms, the birth of Israel and the uprising of Central Europe. Large witness and commentator engaged in his time, Joseph Kessel denounced the violence against women, the ravages of alcoholism, and the drifts of his time.

Literary concerts, meetings …

Beyond these highlights around Joseph Kessel, other meetings will be offered for two days.

Notably two literary concerts Friday May 9: « L’admiration » where the singer-songwriter Florent Marchet puts his new book in voice and music with Karine Sérafinactress and singer (6 p.m., free by reservation); And “Inner island” where Marie Modiano Associates and intersects from her new novel and songs from the album Capri – Ballad Of Spirits written and composed with four hands with Peter von Poehl (8 p.m., free by reservation).

Saturday May 10, at 11:30 a.m., a meeting with Mathias Malzieu, Marie Modiano and Florent Marchet will allow you to ask: from song to the book, how does writing continue by changing format?

Finally, Sunday, May 11, two meetings will allow you to discover two imaginations. At 2:30 p.m., the time of a conversation illustrated with musical extracts, Stonenovelist and biographer of Gaston Gallimard, Albert London, Georges Simenon or Hergé comments “his constant relationship to music, how she inspires him, accompanies her and crosses her writing”.

Then, at 4:30 p.m., over a conversation hosted by Véronique Mortaigne, Bernard Lavilliersfamiliar with stations and ports, reads and comments on a selection of poems and texts that have accosted on the quays of his travels and his literary stops (free meetings, by reservation).

Four finalist authors

To meet them 35 written youth writers and publishersthe great dedication will take over the Franciscan cloister on Saturday May 10, from 3.30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The finalist authors of the Books & Music Prize-Olivier Baumont, Jean-Louis Ezine, Hubert Haddad and Martin Mirabel-will also participate that day in a meeting time, at 2:30 p.m.

The prize will be awarded on May 10, at 6 p.m., in the chapel followed by a tribute concert to the winner in words and music by Leonor de Récondo and Anne-Marie Philippe.

From May 9 to 11, to the Franciscans, in Deauville. More information on the site: festivallitrairedeauville.fr. Free.

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