in Strasbourg, 9 unmissable free literary and musical encounters

After an exceptional event around the writer Harlan Coben, organized last November, a few days before the American presidential election, the Ideal Libraries (BI) return for 5 days of “off” moments.

This year, this major cultural event, which you now know by heart, will revolve around subjects such as memory, the importance of friendship, freedom of expression… All around a guest of honor, the designer and illustrator Tardi.

As usual, the teams gathered many other personalities who will each come to discuss strong subjects, in their own way, during 25 meetings! We offer you a small selection of moments not to be missedand 100% free (no reservation), which will take place either at the BNU (National University Library), or at the Cité de la musique et de la danse.

Friendship, culture under Nazism and literature today

On January 22, at 6 p.m., head to the City of Music and Dance to meet François Morel and Valentin Morel. One is a columnist, singer and actor, the other is an author, and both will discuss the importance of friendship in our society where everything is (a priori) going adrift. They will also present their book Friendship Love Dictionary at Plon.

The same day, at 8 p.m., a major meeting will be proposed with Pascal Ory (from the French Academy) and John Chapoutot (historian), but also Philippe Olivier (musicologist), soprano singer Amélie Robins and pianist Aurélien Pontier.

Together, sometimes in music, sometimes around projected works, they will discuss a subject as vast as it is fascinating: the culture banned under Nazism, and more broadly the persecutions carried out against artists in European totalitarian regimes. We will see in particular that, during wars, art and culture are always a form of resistance.

The next day, January 23, the volunteers will welcome the teacher-researcher and historian, Pap Ndiayewho also served as Minister of National Education and Youth. With her sister, Marie Ndiaye, a great novelist and 2009 Goncourt Prize winner with his book Three powerful womenhe and she will evoke today’s literature, during an open meeting, from 6 p.m.

Meeting with the illustrator Tardi, memory of the Shoah and freedom of speech

Also on January 23, from 7 p.m., at the Cité de la musique et de la danse, place for a great evening of shows around the illustrator Tardi (always 100% free). Songs, drawing projections, readings of texts, artists and musicians will offer a great plea against wars, the destruction and the massacres they generate for the benefit of industrialists and arms dealers. The evening promises to be exceptional, rich, and full of emotions!

The next day, after a well-deserved night’s sleep, heading to the BNU at 5 p.m., to meet Annick Cojean (senior reporter at Le Monde and Albert Londres Prize) and Annette Wieviorka, great historian specializing in the Shoah. Both will discuss the history and memory of the Shoah through missing historical figurescamp survivors, historians, politicians, writers, thinkers and artists.

Richard Malka, you may know this face. On January 24, still at the BNU, the lawyer for Charlie Hebdo, also an essayist, screenwriter and writerwill come (among other things) to talk about his book After God at Stock.

Great committed defender of rights, he will notably discuss freedom of speech against religion which confines. As close as possible to the tragedies that shook our country in January 2015, he is an important and essential voice for freedom of expression and the right to blasphemy in France and Europe. See you at 7 p.m.!

Cartoon reports, French economy and great musical reading

On the 25th at 2 p.m., head to the BNU for go and meet the designer Coco. In a mixture of seriousness and humor, she will offer us a series of drawn (projected) reports on the theme of the animal condition. It will retrace the situation of animals in our societies, to denounce the exploitation and abuse of which they are victims, but also to salute the actions of those who fight every day to change the situation.

The same evening, in the same place, but not at the same time (6 p.m.), the BI will offer a meeting with the essayist and economist Thomas PorcherClaire Lemercier and Willy Pelletier. All three will discuss the French economy in an uninhibited mannernotably through two books with evocative names: Hatred of civil servants (at Amsterdam) and The economy for the 99% (at Stock).

Finally, we finish our little selection of the day with music, with La Grande Sophie, who will perform on the BNU stage January 26 from 3 p.m. By sending letters to a fictitious recipient, she will retrace her journey as an artist and a woman during a major musical reading. We advise you to make the trip!

You now have a small sample of events not to be missed at the Ideal Libraries. Obviously, you are all invited to participate in these moments which will all have a different flavor and tone. See you from January 22, and to find out more, you can click here!