Attendance, new releases, sales, interventions… The Mouans-Sartoux Book Festival “always as lively and intense” according to its “boss”

Attendance, new releases, sales, interventions… The Mouans-Sartoux Book Festival “always as lively and intense” according to its “boss”
Attendance, new releases, sales, interventions… The Mouans-Sartoux Book Festival “always as lively and intense” according to its “boss”

Was the last Mouans-Sartoux Book Festival held from October 4 to 6 a success? It's yes according to its commissioner, Marie-Louis Gourdon. More sales by the professionals present, more visitors, speakers and quality creations… “The Festival is still as lively and intense as ever”she assures.

What is special about this 37e edition?

Our desire to create creations in the Festival, musical shows or readings enriched by music. We have incredible resources. Everyone participates. Teachers from the music school, the cultural center and many associations. This is the richness of the festival. It starts from the territory.

Are there always more visitors?

We exceed 50,000 visitors. Saturday afternoon for example, the entire perimeter of the festival was full: literary cafés, cinemas… As Christophe Alévêque said in his show: “it's reassuring to see people queuing to go see books”. Many visitors tell us that after 37 years, the Festival is still as lively and intense as ever. Every year, we have different ideas, and the desire to do stronger things, to interest people, to make them come. In all areas, we had exceptional people: Pascal Blanchard, Charlotte Vanhoenacker, Mathieu Vidard, Enki Bilal, Erik Orsenna, Magyd Cherfi…

And on the sales side?

There was an increase of 10% among the booksellers and publishers present, particularly in the youth sector. Many new publishers were delighted. They find that there is an interesting audience here who asks questions, there are a lot of pleasant exchanges with visitors. The tempo is set by the entire team of volunteers in a good mood that communicates. This can be a beautiful illustration of living together. All social categories, all ages, are present. It is a festival that is both popular and engaged.

Women's rights were an important axis…

Some testimonies about violence against women and children have sent shivers down our spines, but we have to say things, even if it's hard, it's the truth. We must not back down and denounce a justice system which is most of the time created by men with their human vision. It's as serious as war. Women and children are injured for life. The Festival allows these things that are in our society to be heard. All the progress in freedom of speech like the #MeToo movement means that this is starting to be heard. The festival is a platform to make these things heard that have difficulty getting through the limelight, so that it snowballs.

Like so many “free voices”, the theme of the festival?

What we saw and heard during the last few months during the elections showed us that we must defend freedom of expression. Authoritarian regimes are rampant all over the world. We must ensure our freedom of speech, it is never acquired to eternal life. Afghan women are today prohibited from speaking in public spaces. There were also interventions, debates and interviews in all areas: ecology with José Bové, Isabelle Autisser, Marie-Monique Robin or discrimination with Magyd Cherfi, Lilian Thuram… In all 300 debates, shows, interviews …That's a lot of speaking out.

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