The festival will commemorate the death of the sulphurous novelist, 20 years ago, with a performance by Caroline Loeb. The actress will lend her voice to the author of “Bonjour tristesse” in a daring monologue constructed from interview excerpts.
She will thus have the writer speak “of her absolute love for literature, the fragility of men, the importance of desire, her disdain for money, her passion for gambling and death in ambush”, according to the organizers.
In a second part, the singer and novelist Viktor Lazlo will read extracts chosen from Sagan’s work, accompanied by the Victor-Hugo orchestra.
Also in prison
More than 200 authors will be present until Sunday in Besançon, including many leading figures of the literary rentrée such as Olivier Norek, Kamel Daoud, Yann Queffélec, Cécile Coulon, Alice Zéniter, Olivier Adam, Claudie Gallay and Gaël Faye, as well as children’s and comic book authors (Peggy Nille, Erik Lhomme, etc.), not forgetting regional writers.
Around a hundred literary meetings are on the programme of the Besançon festival. The event combines literature with music, dance, theatre, drawing and singing, under the canopy of Parc Chamars, in the city’s cultural sites, media libraries, schools, the CHU and even the penitentiary centre.
“Books are not the business of a few classes, a few communities, it is everyone’s business,” stressed Anne Vignot, EELV mayor of Besançon and president of her urban area which is organizing the event, during a press conference.
“Reading, books, have their place in our society, even as we are inundated with digital information,” she added.
Tribute to Bukowski
The king of French thrillers, Bernard Minier, will be the honorary president of this 2024 edition. The author will lead the audience into the heart of the universe of his latest novel “Les Effacées” (XO, 2024) in a major interview. Comic book illustrator Morgan Navarro will accompany him live.
Bernard Minier will also discuss the mechanisms of detective fiction with the Greek author Christos Markogiannakis and indulge in his passion for drawing.
Another highlight of the festival will be the tribute to Charles Bukowski, who died 30 years ago. The writer Philippe Jaenada will read some of his texts, with music and accompanied by the painter Patrick Pleutin. A round table dedicated to Bukowski will be held in the presence of his publisher in France and one of his translators.
