Big things are coming to Philly this April. From Sunday, April 12th to Monday, April 13th, Alliance Française de Philadelphie will host the Festival International des Auteurs Francophones (International Festival of Francophone Authors) for the first time ever in the City of Brotherly Love. This two-day event will bring together Francophiles from the greater Philadelphia area with notable authors like Elaine Sciolino, longtime Paris-based journalist and former New York Times Paris bureau chief, and Judith W. Umlas, author of Grateful Leadership: Using the Power of Acknowledgement to Engage All Your People and Achieve Superior Results and the memoir Soulmates & Strangers.
“The network is implementing initiatives to build bridges between authors and readers, and bridges between continents,” said Sandrine Mehrez Kukurudz, Founder of the Rencontre des Auteurs Francophones network. “We are committed to promoting authors and making books accessible to everyone, everywhere.”
In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, the festival will also serve as a launch for the book Nos histoires d’Amérique. Published by Éditions Rencontre des Auteurs Francophones, the anthology of short stories explores the American imaginary as seen through the perspectives of Francophone writers from all over the world.
“We are thrilled to bring the Festival International des Auteurs Francophones to Philadelphia for the first time. The city is full of Francophiles, and we look forward to sharing the richness of French-language literature,” said Philippe Poirier, Executive Director of Alliance Française de Philadelphie. “The festival reflects our core mission of promoting education and passing culture to future generations by connecting communities through the power of the written word.”
Attendees can participate in author meet and greets, book signings, lectures, and workshops, including the following:
- Authors Meet & Greet and Book Signings on Sunday, April 12th at 2 pm (hosted at FRIEDA Community, 320 Walnut St.)
- Apéro-Lectures (drinks and light bites included) on Sunday, April 12th at 5:30 pm (hosted at FRIEDA Community)
- Writing Workshops and Readings on Monday, April 13th at 10 am (hosted at Alliance Française de Philadelphie, 1420 Walnut St, Suite 700)
Those interested are encouraged to register for individual events in advance here.
Catherine Rickman is a writer, professional Francophile, and host of the Expat Horror Stories podcast. She is currently somewhere in Brooklyn with a fork in one hand and a pen in the other, and you can follow her adventures on Instagram @catrickman.
