For four days, Saint-Médard-en-Jalles will be the venue for the Biennale of Black African Literatures, a cultural event this year focusing on Mayotte and the Indian Ocean islands. The program includes author encounters, storytelling, film screenings, a dance performance, exhibitions, and family workshops, catering to audiences from age 3. Events will be held at the Carré des Jalles and various locations across the town.
Since 2002, the Biennale has aimed to create a space for dialogue between African voices and the Aquitaine public. This edition, from November 18 to 21, 2026, promises the discovery of a rich and diverse program.
For this 11th edition, writers, storytellers, and artists from Mayotte, the Comoros, Madagascar, and Réunion are invited to explore island imaginations marked by métissage and cultural exchange. Author residencies are also being organized, bringing together students from Lormont and Saint-Médard-en-Jalles around books and creation.
Invited authors will meet the public at partner businesses and during a literary dinner on Wednesday, November 18. The opening evening, on Thursday, November 19 at 6 PM, will feature the restitution of the school workshops "From Pen to Microphone," conducted with Cameroonian author Alain Serge Dzotap.
Even before the official opening, literature is already present in classrooms. Since October 21, Cameroonian author Alain Serge Dzotap has been in residence in Saint-Médard-en-Jalles until November 21. A children's author, poet, and writing workshop facilitator, he is developing a reading, writing, and creation program for students from primary school to university, in collaboration with teachers, students, book professionals, and readers. This residency is funded by the Drac Nouvelle-Aquitaine and organized in partnership with Villa Valmont and the IUT Métiers du livre.
The "Great Night of Tales" on Friday, November 20, will resonate with voices from West Africa and Mayotte. A round table on writing by women and a grand discussion on the literary figures of the Indian Ocean islands will further enrich the exchanges. The international conference on African and diasporic children's literature will begin its first day in Saint-Médard-en-Jalles on November 19.
Two film screenings will take place at the L’Étoile cinema: "Une si longue lettre" and "Germaine Acogny, l’essence de la danse." The performance "Trois fois seul" by Salia Sanou will be presented on Saturday, November 21. The exhibitions "Coups de cœur de Takam Tikou" and "Mayotte, l’âme d’une île" will be on display at the Carré des Jalles throughout the Biennale.
For families, the "Illustration Workshop for Families" on Saturday, November 21, will invite children and adults to create alongside the attending illustrators.
