The Université Bordeaux Montaigne is hosting the Lettres du monde festival from November 12 to 19, 2026. This event aims to promote the diversity of foreign literature through free encounters open to all, requiring no prior registration. These meetings are organized in partnership with the university's cultural service and the Festival Lettres du Monde.
Among the invited authors is Anthony Fennell, an Irish writer exploring the mysteries of underwater internet cables, whose reportage takes an unexpected turn during a major breakdown in Africa. The encounter will be moderated by Pascale Antolin, director of the CLIMAS research unit, Pascale Sardin, professor of English literature, and students from the English department, alongside students from the Camille Jullian and Maine de Biran high schools.
The festival will also feature the novel by Maryam and Joseph, a nocturnal road novel set in a disappearing country, where two strangers travel north as their territory transforms. This encounter is organized by Ève de Dampierre-Noiray and moderated by students from the Lettres Babel bachelor's degree.
Another author, Henri, a young man from Guadeloupe facing colonial humiliation, explores themes of exile and emancipation in Paris through his encounters with Sabine and her mother Kath, a Jewish German who arrived in France in 1946. This presentation is also organized by Ève de Dampierre-Noiray and moderated by students from the Lettres Babel bachelor's degree.
Eniiyi, a young woman from Lagos, Nigeria, confronts her fears related to the reincarnation of her deceased aunt, Monife. Her life is marked by troubling resemblances and family secrets. The encounter is organized by Stéphanie Ravez, associate professor, with the participation of Hélène Perrin (Camille Jullian high school) and Isabelle Andrés (Maine de Biran high school).
The novel by Eduardo Vásquez, inspired by an article by Gabriel García Márquez about the death of Feliza in 1982, will also be the focus of an encounter organized by Antoine Ventura, lecturer in Hispanic and Lusophone Studies.
The festival highlights literature that bears witness and fights back, literature that transports readers through stories of intimate or political tragedies. Writing is presented as a means of escaping oppression and existing. Fictional characters, whether from here or elsewhere, share our stories and unite us in their struggles for dignity and hope.
The cultural program of the Université Bordeaux Montaigne for the 2026-2027 academic year also includes performances, exhibitions, and concerts, most of which are free.
