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With Festival, Paris Seeks to Reclaim Literary Reputation With Festival, Paris Seeks to Reclaim Literary Reputation
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PARIS — There was a time when Paris was an obligatory way station for aspiring foreign writers on the Grand Tour through Europe as they strove to burnish their reputations as cosmopolitan sophisticates, but in recent years the city has seemed to have lost its edge. PARIS — There was a time when Paris was an obligatory way station for aspiring foreign writers on the Grand Tour through Europe as they strove to burnish their reputations as cosmopolitan sophisticates. But in recent years, the city seems to have lost some of its edge. Now Paris has reached out to recapture its place as a center of literature with a new festival of international writers that began on Friday and ran through the weekend.
Now Paris is reaching out to recapture its place as a center of literature with a new festival of international writers that was set to begin Friday. “There’s a sense in America that France is a country of culture, but when you are looking from the inside, a lot of people have been complaining that France needs to find its beating heart again,” said Lila Azam Zanganeh, a French-Iranian writer who lives in New York and is one of the authors who took part in the festival, Écrivains du Monde.
“There’s a sense in America that France is a country of culture, but when you are looking from the inside, a lot of people have been complaining that France needs to find its beating heart again,” said Lila Azam Zanganeh, a French-Iranian writer who now lives in New York and is one of the writers participating in the festival, Écrivains du Monde. “In the 1800s, you had to be here in France,” Ms. Zanganeh said. “Baudelaire was an inventor of the word ‘modern’; he looked at what being a bohemian meant, and it was extraordinarily important; Nabokov was published in Paris, but then it peters off in the late ’60s and the early ’70s: there was a bit of a trough, a slump, and I think France is looking for its pulse.”
“In the 1800s you had to be here in France; Baudelaire was an inventor of the word modern, he looked at what being a bohemian meant and it was extraordinarily important; Nabokov was published in Paris, but then it peters off in the late ’60s and the early ’70s. There was a bit of a trough, a slump, and I think France is looking for its pulse.” The Écrivains du Monde festival may not, on its own, recreate the vibrant sense of literary experimentation and adventure of the first half of the 20th century, when Paris was home to the likes of Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett and Eugène Ionesco, but it signals a new appreciation of the primacy of international writing.
The Écrivains du Monde festival may not, on its own, recreate the vibrant sense of literary experimentation and adventure of the first half of the 20th century, when Paris was home to the likes of Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett and Eugene Ionesco, but it marks a new appreciation of the primacy of international writing, in a country that despite a complex relationship with outsiders, has always embraced their contribution to the arts. Perhaps not surprisingly, then, the festival is the brainchild of an American, Paul LeClerc, director of Columbia University’s Global Center for Europe, which is based in Paris, and an Australian, Caro Llewellyn, the festival’s artistic director. Ms. Llewellyn has made a profession of bringing together international writers and giving them a forum to talk about literature.
Perhaps not surprisingly then, the festival is the brainchild of an American, Paul LeClerc, who heads Columbia University’s Global Center for Europe, which is based in Paris, and an Australian, Caro Llewellyn, who is serving as the festival’s artistic director. Ms. Llewellyn has made a profession out of bringing together international writers and giving them a forum to talk about literature. For the last several years she has organized the Pen World Voices festival in New York and become a strong proponent of events where writers and their readers come together. The inaugural festival drew together some 28 writers from 19 countries. Most are not French; they have been translated into French and have a French following. The authors, who were paid small stipends, include some of the best-known fiction writers at work today: Salman Rushdie, John Banville, Richard Ford, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, David Grossman, Ma Jian and Michael Ondaatje. Also attending were several authors who write in French, though are not all from France, including two from Lebanon and a Canadian-Haitian, Dany LaFerrière. The writers came to Paris for three days, and a few are going on to spend two days in Lyon on Monday and Tuesday. They held intimate — and sometimes not so intimate — talks with their readers and literary enthusiasts. Several events were at the Louvre Auditorium, which holds some 400 people.
The inaugural festival draws together some 28 writers from at least 18 countries. Most are not French themselves, but they have been translated into French and have a French following. The authors, who are speaking for small stipends, include some of the best-known fiction writers at work today: Salman Rushdie, John Banville, Richard Ford, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, David Grossman, Ma Jian and Michael Ondaatje. Also attending are several authors who write in French although not all of them are from France, including two from Lebanon and a Canadian-Haitian. The writers, who are coming for three days to Paris, with a few going on to spend two days in Lyon on Sept. 23 and 24, will hold intimate — and sometimes not so intimate — talks with their readers and literary enthusiasts. Panel discussions will take on topics like the challenges of translation, identity and conflict, literature and war. But most were at smaller sites, where the audience and the authors could go back and forth. At a talk on writing about love in the midst of war, the Pakistani writer Nadeem Aslam described how he had spoken only Urdu until his family was forced to flee Pakistan for Britain when he was 14. It was in university that he taught himself how to write in English by copying longhand the works of great fiction writers, starting with William Faulkner’s “As I Lay Dying,” and moving on to Cormac McCarthy’s “Blood Meridian,” Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” and Gabriel García Márquez’s “Autumn of the Patriarch.”
Mr. LeClerc, a scholar of French literature and a former president of the New York Public Library who helped lead the library into the digital age, is hoping the festival will both raise Columbia University’s profile in Europe and also help it build a reputation as a contributor to the cultural life of Paris, he said. The talks’ moderators were matched to the authors, with, for instance, Mr. Aslam’s talk moderated by Steve Coll, dean of Columbia University’s School of Journalism and a Pulitzer Prize-winning nonfiction writer on the region that Mr. Aslam writes novels about.
“This is not an academic conference,” said Mr. LeClerc. “It is meant to engage the broader public.” The informal but informed atmosphere appeared to be what Mr. LeClerc, a scholar of French literature and a former president of the New York Public Library, was striving for. “This is not an academic conference,” he said. “It is meant to engage the broader public.”
Mr. LeClerc had the idea for the festival about a year ago and set about gathering French partners who would donate venues for the events, lend their backing and give the imprimatur of the French cultural elite. He had the idea for the festival about a year ago and set about gathering French partners who would donate locations for the events, lend their backing and give the imprimatur of the French cultural elite.
Among the most prominent supporters are the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and the Louvre as well as the city of Paris, which has offered both the Théâtre des Abbesses and the Maison de la Poésie for several talks. The leading French newspaper Le Monde and other organizations have donated space for events. Columbia University is paying almost all of the costs, not only for bringing the writers to Paris, but also for providing translations of the sessions for all those writers who do not speak French. The audience is expected to be mostly French speakers. Among the most prominent supporters were the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and the Louvre Museum, as well as the City of Paris, which offered both the Théâtre des Abbesses and the Maison de la Poésie for several talks. The French newspaper Le Monde and other organizations donated space for the event. Columbia University paid less than half the costs; most of the money came from foundations and individual donors, Mr. LeClerc said. The funds covered not only bringing the writers to Paris, but also the simultaneous translations of the sessions into French.
France remains a country of avid readers, and Bruno Racine, the president of the national library, describes the devotion to books as almost a national characteristic. France remains very much a country of avid readers, and Bruno Racine, the president of the national library, describes the devotion to books as almost a national characteristic.
“For French culture, the book is essential,” he said. “In other countries it is painting or poetry, but here there is such an intimate link between culture and reading.” “For French culture, the book is essential,” he said. “In other countries, it is painting or poetry, but here there is such an intimate link between culture and reading.”
September and October are the months each year when publishers flood the market with hundreds of new books and Parisians flock to the many independent bookstores to leaf through the offerings. While there is still loyalty to French writers, there is far more enthusiasm for foreign books (translated into French) than there is for example in the United States. September and October are the months when, annually, publishers flood the market with hundreds of new books, and Parisians flock to the many independent book stores to leaf through the offerings. While there is still loyalty to French writers, there is far more enthusiasm here for foreign books translated into French than there is in the United States for foreign books translated into English. Publishers here say that roughly 15 to 20 percent of books are translated from other languages, with American writers among the most popular.
Publishers here say that roughly 15 percent to 20 percent of books are translated from other languages, with American writers among the most popular. Not all of those produce great literature — Dan Brown led the summer best-seller list — but Mr. Ford is hugely popular, and his latest work, “Canada,” has already sold tens of thousands of copies in its first several weeks on sale here, according to publishers.
Not all of those are great literature — Dan Brown led the summer best-seller list — but Mr. Ford is hugely popular, and his latest work, “Canada,” in just its first several weeks on sale here has already sold tens of thousands of copies, according to publishers. Deborah Eisenberg, a New York short story writer who is participating in the festival and won the PEN/Faulkner award in 2012, said she was struck that her work is read in French and German, even though she writes what she called “difficult short fiction.” Deborah Eisenberg, the New York short-story writer, who took part in the festival and has won a PEN/Faulkner award, said she was struck that her work is read in French and German, even though she writes what she called “difficult short fiction.”
Edmund White, another festival participant, who lived for a number of years in Paris and has written several books on French literary figures including Jean Genet, Arthur Rimbaud and Marcel Proust, is popular in France, with many of his books translated into French. Whether the French will fully embrace the festival remains to be seen, but the Louvre, a premier symbol of French culture if ever there was one, promoted it on its Web site as a moment for Paris to reclaim its reputation as a city of literature: “Fortunately, the Americans are here to remind us that Paris is a great literary capital — at least for the weekend.”
Mr. White said that he was drawn to the festival in part because it gives him the opportunity to be in the company of writers from other parts of the world where publishing is less commercial than in the United States and where a writer is more celebrated for the quality of his work than the number of copies sold.
He said he was also excited by the number of Spanish writers, many not yet well known in the United States. The festival has one Spanish language writer, a Chilean, Antonio Skármeta and Mr. White said he hoped to see more next year.
“There are tons of Spanish writers; it’s quickly becoming an important international language for literature. They haven’t had to deal with the commercial pressures,” said Mr. White. He added, “In the U.S. all the publishing houses have been bought up by international corporations, and it’s all spoiled now.”
Whether the French will fully embrace the festival remains to be seen, but the Louvre, a premier symbol of French culture if ever there was one, was promoting it on its Web site as a moment for Paris to reclaim its reputation as a city of literature: “Fortunately, the Americans are here to remind us that Paris is a great literary capital — at least for the weekend.”