Villeneuve opens up: with Antoine Duléry, Hervé Le Tellier and Edouard Jousselin, a gala evening to launch the literary festival

Everything that makes the Villeneuve literary festival so charming was found in the hall of the Georges-Leygues theater: renowned writers among anonymous people, the curious and lovers of reading, gathered to discuss books in an atmosphere friendly. The tone was set even before the launch of this inaugural evening, established last year and which brings together a good part of the 70 authors in the setting of Italian theater.

Serge Joncour and Corinne Royer unfortunately absent

In the rows, a Goncourt prize greets an old acquaintance, an author and former columnist on France Inter exchanges with a colleague. Two are missing, and not the least: Serge Joncour and Corinne Royer. The guest of honor – bedridden – and the godmother – unable to attend for personal reasons – will not be in Villeneuve during the weekend. It’s only a postponement. As for the author, awarded in Villeneuve, her text specially written for the festival was read by Grégori Baquet, who once again appeared on the stage in Villeneuve. Hervé Le Tellier, the godfather of this 2024 edition of the Villeneuvois festival, will therefore carry this edition on his shoulders. Nothing to discourage him, especially when it comes to awarding the 2024 Novel Prize to Edouard Jousselin (read opposite). Like last year, the reveal of the winner took place without heavy suspense, envelope in hand. Instead, it is the actor Antoine Duléry who devotes himself, reading the first lines of his work.

It is no coincidence that the famous actor was in Villeneuve last night. The theme of his next show, which he will perform in a few days? Reading! “I’m going to start with what I read every night before I go to sleep.” He takes a box of medicine out of his pocket, and goes to tell the side effects on the leaflet. Facetious, he continues by recounting his passion for texts, declaiming Zola, Devos or Compagnie Créole, emphasizing the power of two simple words: “I read”. Enough to delight the officials, present in large numbers in the room.

Firstly for Mayor Gérard Régnier, who recalled that “public reading was a central pillar of cultural policy”. Coming as a neighbor from Pujolais, Annie Messina, departmental councilor, praised “the quality of the programming” and “a popular meeting which goes beyond the borders of Lot-et-Garonne”. As tradition dictates, the “minister” of Villeneuvoise culture, Anne-Marie Davelu-Chavin used quotes. But it is with her own words that she pays tribute to the authors present for this Villeneuvois festival: “With your words, you make the dream arise. With your words, we travel very far, without a visa and without a passport.” It’s the public’s turn to take off, all this weekend, towards this literary country where we can “dream of tomorrow”.