Autun. Book Festival: an unexpected cocktail where culture is served in all its forms

Emmanuel de Waresquiel, Julien Denormandie, Sophie El Kharrat and her son Paul, Dominique Missika, Jean-Louis Beaucarnot, Maud Simonnot, Caroline Lamarche or Sandrine Collette. The Autun Book Festival does not lack in attracting renowned authors: Goncourt Prize finalists, historical figures, genealogy experts, former ministers, or celebrities.

30 years with “Lire en Pays Autunois”
Interviews, stacks of books ready for signing, dictation, or the awarding of prizes for the youth writing competition “Graines d’Auteurs” are essential, ensuring the success of the “Lire en Pays Autunois” event for over 30 years. Children’s authors will meet with students on Friday for discussions about “Rosa Bonheur” with Catherine Cuenca or the wonderful “Bleu comme une banane” with Delphine Chedru.

In France, the weekend will be full of activities. The unexpected “Le voyage au cœur des chansons” hosted by Eric-Emilien from Bougez en Autunois-Morvan will challenge participants to discover the hidden success behind ten mysterious characters, sparking interest in reading “Les Tube story” by Astrid Cornet. A calligraphy workshop will connect the book industry with China, with which the city has established connections. “L’amour est nul”, the provocative and humorous title by Arthur Dreyfus and Raphaël Journaux, will encourage dialogue on stage on Saturday, while genealogy will be explored by its faithful advocate Jean-Louis Beaucarnot on Sunday.

History and nature in the spotlight
History and nature are the themes of the year, both locally with “Histoire de la Bourgogne” by Philippe Ménager and in Europe with photographer Laurent Jeannin taking us to Moldova. Nature conservation will be represented by the beautiful “Sous les arbres” by Jacques Tassin and the unexpected “Le chant du sol” by former Minister Julien Denormandie.

Women will be prominently featured, whether in novels like Céline Curiol with “Une poule nommée Gilda” or in personal stories like Anne Meril with “Les Fruits rouges” or Maud Simonnot with the story of her great-grandmother Lily. While only about fifteen organizing volunteers and forty helpers are mobilized for the weekend, the volunteers of “Lire en Pays Autunois” continue to ensure a quality program that will surely delight the public this year.

Context: The Autun Book Festival features renowned authors and a variety of activities centered around books and reading.
Fact Check: Autun is a town in France known for its cultural events and historical sites.