In Bordeaux’s bookshops and libraries, writers from all over the world meet their readers, mostly with free entry. The “Lettres du Monde” festival runs from 12 to 22 November 2026.
In November, when the quays turn grey and the bookshops of Saint-Pierre become the cosiest places in town, Bordeaux listens to the rest of the world. From 12 to 22 November 2026, the Lettres du Monde festival celebrates its 23rd edition under the theme “Vacarme(s)”. Writers from Turkey, Ireland, Colombia and Nigeria settle into Bordeaux’s bookshops and libraries for talks that are mostly free to attend.
At a glance
The festival
No big marquee or crowded fair: Lettres du Monde favours closeness. You listen to a Colombian novelist between two bookshelves, or ask a Nigerian author a question among the readers of a neighbourhood library. This year, literary adviser Martine Laval chose the theme “Vacarme(s)” (Uproar). Faced with the din of the world, literature becomes a way to sort through the noise and to hear again the voices we no longer listen to.
Guests at this edition include Ahmet Altan, a leading voice of Turkish literature, Irish writer Colum McCann, Colombian author Juan Gabriel Vásquez, Nigerian novelist Oyinkan Braithwaite, French writer Estelle-Sarah Bulle and Palestinian author Karim Kattan.
Programme
The festival opens on a Hispanic note with Spanish writer Vicente Luis Mora.
Opening night with Ahmet Altan and Karim Kattan at Station Ausone, the events space of Mollat, Bordeaux’s great independent bookshop.
Colum McCann, right in the heart of the Saint-Pierre district, for a morning talk.
Karim Kattan, a stone’s throw from the Capucins market.
Estelle-Sarah Bulle.
Juan Gabriel Vásquez at Mollat, and Eminé Sadk at the Grand Parc library at 6 pm.
Oyinkan Braithwaite, at Bordeaux’s main municipal library.
Manal Salamé, on the right bank of the Garonne.
Times may change, so check the day-by-day programme on the festival website before you go. No events are scheduled on Monday 16 November.
Who is it for
Foreign authors often talk alongside their translators, who bridge the gap with the French-speaking audience. For a traveller passing through Bordeaux in mid-November, it is a rare way to slip into the city’s cultural life through the side door, between strolls on the cobblestones of Saint-Pierre.
💡 Bordeaux City Tours tip
On Friday 13 November, treat yourself to a full day. In the late afternoon, our non-stop panoramic tour leaves from stop no. 1 Quinconces and takes you around Bordeaux in 1 hr 20 min, from the Grand Théâtre to the Pont de Pierre. Then wander on foot through Saint-Pierre to Station Ausone for the opening night at 7 pm. To plan the rest of your stay, see our ideas for visiting Bordeaux in winter and our selection of things to do in Bordeaux.
Frequently asked questions
Bordeaux is rich in history and heritage with its 350 UNESCO listed buildings. Each one more unusual than the next, don’t miss out on discovering them.
We have put together a list of the most important places in the Port de la Lune to visit…
On the quays of Bordeaux, a stone’s throw from the Miroir d’eau, the Musée national des Douanes opens the door to the history of the coastguards and smugglers who shaped the French coastline. The exhibition “La douane aux frontières du large” runs from 2 April to 22 November 2026, in the heart of the Saint-Pierre district.
In Bordeaux’s bookshops and libraries, writers from all over the world meet their readers, mostly with free entry. The “Lettres du Monde” festival runs from 12 to 22 November 2026.
At the Musée d’Aquitaine on cours Pasteur, an extraordinary globe invites visitors to rethink how we picture the world. “Un globe des mondes” runs from 19 June to 13 December 2026, free for under-18s.
Dear visitors,
🎉 We’re delighted to welcome you aboard our double-decker bus.
📅 Every day (except 8 and 10 November and 24 and 25 December): 4 sightseeing tours (no stops) departing from the Tourist Office
🕦 10.15 am
🕑 11.55 am
🕓 2.30 pm
🕓 4.10 pm
Come aboard with us to discover and experience the very best of Bordeaux!
See you soon!
