Supported by several structures and associations, including Voyages Culturels, this meeting announces a day of exchange with authors and artists in the Prés Saint-Jean district on Saturday October 12.
Now present in (almost) all cultural and associative events in Alès through its “book releases”, Voyages Culturels does not want (understandably) to act without others.
Saturday October 12, the association led, in particular, by Joël Baptiste and Éric-Michel Tosolini, former director of the Sauramps-Cévennes bookstore, is collaborating in the third edition of the Rencontre des Prés. A day, free and open to all, dedicated to reading and the arts, outdoors in the Prés Saint-Jean district.
Sharing around several tables
From 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., stands run by Voyages Culturels and other associations known from Alès and Nîmes (Raia, Mille Couleurs, Adib) will work together to promote the book by sharing it with the general public. In the afternoon, from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., the Verrerie d’Alès and the Salto circus school will offer “adventure grounds” where children can test themselves at “dizzy games”. The circus and the book, two arts which, despite appearances, display an intimate proximity. “Racine was the first juggler of words!”laughs Élodie Sabatier, mediation manager at the Glassworks.
A literary festival cannot exist without authors, so the Rencontres des Prés will receive authors close to the values held by the associations. First the Cévenole Brigitte Mathieu-Jaffuel, shepherdess and author of the novel “A stick planted”. The book, which enjoys a “beautiful writing close to Giono” for Éric-Michel Tosolini, recounts the changes in pastoralism through the story of a young shepherdess. “On the Cévennes, it’s the book I’ve always waited to read”underlines the former bookseller. Alongside the novelist are also the authors Kamel Khélif, creator of a graphic novel, Monozande, and Karim Mokhtari. The latter, author of Redemption: Journey of a Broken Child (ed. Serineo) will be the sponsor of this third edition.
Beyond the borders
These authors will therefore meet festival-goers around a round table. “There will also be a square table”announces Joël Baptiste. This will be composed of books chosen and proposed by friends, anonymous people and supporters of Voyages Culturels. “Our desire is to restore the pleasure of reading, and to present authors, on site or through their works, capable of provoking this emotion.”
Although this day is one of the central events of Cultural Trips, the association insists on the need to extend the benefits of books to all strata of society. “Meetings take place at Prés Saint-Jean”but without the desire for caricatured stigmatization, “the book is not just about the poor”. Supporting example given by Joël Baptiste: “The national book center (CNL, NDLR) called us this year to find out more about our way of working. We learned that Apec (association for executive employment, Editor’s note), signed a contract with the CNL to open executives to reading in companies.”
Proof, according to him, that the distance from reading is not only due to a thick wallet.
