From Friday November 22 to Sunday November 24, the department welcomes 450 authors of general literature, children’s literature, comics and thrillers to Toulon for numerous round tables and signings.
The Var offers an intense cultural program throughout its territory: between important historical heritage, part of which is the setting for exhibitions, concerts all year round, emblematic places of culture such as the HDE Var departmental exhibition hall , Châteauvallon, the Noailles and Tamaris villas, the Théâtre Liberté and the Opera and, finally, strong support for creation. Among this abundance, we offer a unique place to literature through the department’s book festival.
Literature has no equal in generating a delightful alchemy between individual freedom and the creation of common frames of reference. Literature, deliberately spelled with a capital L as I refuse to consider it other than globally. Of course, she expresses herself through multiple genres, which is fortunate, because this contributes to the proliferation of her effects. Moreover, it is the depth of the furrow of its overall footprint that matters. None dominates the others, because each has enough evocative power to weigh on the human soul. Robert Darnton demonstrated the equal influence of the proliferation of pamphleteers and the works of the Enlightenment on the French Revolution. Jules Verne, Aldous Huxley, Isaac Asimov and George Orwell have illuminated the future of humanity with their geniuses as much as the best futurists.
Offering as many people as possible the opportunity to experience a massive offering of quality works means increasing the opportunity to encourage vocations.
This spirit of unifying literature in which everyone can arrange their space of individual freedom according to their tastes, their needs or even their desires represents the essence of the book festival in the Var department. Frequently frequented by the winners of the major literary prizes, the Goncourt 2023, the Femina 2024, our Var book festival welcomes all literary expressions. Bernard Minier, president of the 2024 edition, will carry the essential commitment of our event as it symbolizes as much as it embraces the values that we hold. Literature as a standard of freedom, Literature as a generator of common culture, two subjects on which we immediately agreed.
Offering as many people as possible the opportunity to experience a massive offering of quality works means increasing the opportunity to encourage vocations. They will most often manifest themselves through jubilant personal impulses dedicated to anonymity just as they can bring out the great authors of tomorrow, guaranteeing us, for the future, the survival of this powerful showcase of freedom and common culture that is Literature.
The highlights
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22
■ Inauguration and visit to the marquee. 2:30 p.m.-4 p.m.
Prize giving (Var Readers Prize, Marine Ink Prize)
The Literary Scene, 15 h 30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
■ Carte blanche to Bernard Minier, honorary president of the 2024 edition: conversation with Gavins Clemente Ruiz. Meeting hosted by Karine Papillaud.
The Literary Scene, 5 pm-6 pm.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 23
■ “Digital: dream or nightmare? »
With Jennifer Richard (Infinite LifePhilippe Rey). Meeting hosted by Karine Papillaud.
Literary Apostrophes, 10 h 30-11 h.
■ “From Mark Twain to Faulkner, from Hemingway to Russell Banks and Patti Smith, a walk in the company of the great American writers”
With Bruno Corty (Lovers’ dictionary of American literature, Plon). Meeting hosted by Baptiste Liger.
Literary Apostrophes, 11 a.m.-11 a.m. h 30.
“Great interview with Franz-Olivier Giesbert” (History of the Ve RepublicGallimard). Meeting hosted by Karine Papillaud.
The Literary Scene, 11 h 30-12 h 30.
■ “Love to death”
With Gaël Tchakaloff (Life to deathFlammarion) and Guillaume Sire (The Great Strange HomelandsCalmann-Lévy). Meeting hosted by Marion Zipfel. Authors’ views, 12:30 p.m.-1 p.m.
■ « Polar »
With Olivier Descosse (The Devil’s CircusXO), Denis Michelis (Crazy lovenotables) and Aslak Nore (Heirs of the ArcticThe Sound of the World). Meeting hosted by Karine Papillaud.
The Literary Scene, 1 p.m.-2 p.m.
■ « Aimer, tout un art. Cesare Pavese, Luchino Visconti, Marguerite Yourcenar… »
With Christophe Bigot (Another one is waiting for me elsewhereLa Martinière), Pierre Adrian (Hotel RomaGallimard), Jean-Pierre Montal (At North FaceSéguier) and Guillaume Perilhou (The Serpent’s CrownThe Observatory). Meeting hosted by Bruno Corty.
The Literary Scene, 2 p.m.-3 p.m.
■ “Meeting with Bernard Minier” (The ErasedXO). Hosted by Marion Zipfel.
The Literary Scene, 3 p.m.-4 p.m.
■ “Stolen childhood”
With Véronique Olmi (The Courage of the Innocents, Albin Michel) and Alexandre Koszelyk (Stolen pagesAt the Forges of Vulcain). Meeting hosted by Karine Papillaud.
The Literary Scene, 4 p.m.-5 p.m.
■ Price Marine ink
With the five finalists of the prize (see box on p. 8). Meeting hosted by Nathalie Six.
Author’s views, 4 p.m.-5 p.m.
■ “Between reason and feelings”
With Julia Kerninon (SauvageThe Iconoclast), Joy Majdalani (Jessica alone in a roomGrasset), Dominique Maisons (Black flagLa Martinière) and Daphné Tamage (The Return of SaturnStock).
Meeting hosted by Caroline de Benedetti.
Literary Apostrophes, 4 p.m.-5 p.m.
■ “Eighty years ago, the Americans liberated Europe: a work of memory”
With Annick Cojean (We were thereGrasset), Ananda Devi (Night adds to nightStock), Grégory Cingal (Last on the listGrasset) and Thomas Legrand (The Lost EscapesRue de Sèvres). Meeting hosted by Nathalie Six.
The Literary Scene, 5 pm-6 pm.
■ “Father’s Evil”
With Thibault de Montaigu (HeartAlbin Michel), David Frèche (One day there will be no more fathersLe Rocher) and Yves Harté (Among other solitudesLe Cherche midi).
Meeting hosted by Karine Papillaud.
Author’s views, 5 p.m.-6 p.m.
■ « Lecture performance »
With Daniel Picouly (The Tears of WineAlbin Michel).
The Literary Scene, 6 p.m.-7 p.m.
