{"id":10034,"date":"2026-10-21T21:23:48","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T19:23:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bordeaux-citytours.com\/?p=10034"},"modified":"2026-10-21T21:24:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T19:24:04","slug":"lettres-du-monde-festival-2026-bordeaux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bordeaux-citytours.com\/en\/top-picks\/lettres-du-monde-festival-2026-bordeaux\/","title":{"rendered":"Lettres du Monde 2026: the \u201cVacarme(s)\u201d festival brings world literature to Bordeaux from 12 to 22 November"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/strong>, the Lettres du Monde<\/strong> festival celebrates its 23rd edition under the theme \u201cVacarme(s)\u201d<\/strong>. Writers from Turkey, Ireland, Colombia and Nigeria settle into Bordeaux’s bookshops and libraries for talks that are mostly free to attend.<\/p>\n

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At a glance<\/p>\n

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Event<\/strong>Lettres du Monde Festival, 23rd edition<\/span><\/div>\n
Dates<\/strong>12 to 22 November 2026<\/span><\/div>\n
Theme<\/strong>\u201cVacarme(s)\u201d (Uproar)<\/span><\/div>\n
Opening<\/strong>Friday 13 November, 7 pm, Station Ausone (Mollat bookshop)<\/span><\/div>\n
Price<\/strong>Free entry to most events<\/span><\/div>\n
Programme<\/strong>lettresdumonde33.com<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The festival<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the Lettres du Monde festival?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
In short,<\/strong> a travelling literary festival born in Bordeaux, which every autumn invites foreign writers to meet their readers in independent bookshops, libraries and universities. Translators and publishers join in too.<\/div>\n

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 \u201cVacarme(s)\u201d (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.<\/p>\n

Guests at this edition include Ahmet Altan, a leading voice of Turkish literature, Irish writer Colum McCann, Colombian author Juan Gabriel V\u00e1squez, Nigerian novelist Oyinkan Braithwaite, French writer Estelle-Sarah Bulle and Palestinian author Karim Kattan.<\/p>\n

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Programme<\/span><\/p>\n

Events not to miss in Bordeaux<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n
Instituto Cervantes, cours de l’Intendance<\/strong> Thu 12 Nov, 7 pm<\/span><\/div>\n

The festival opens on a Hispanic note with Spanish writer Vicente Luis Mora.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Station Ausone, Mollat bookshop<\/strong> Fri 13 Nov, 7 pm<\/span><\/div>\n

Opening night with Ahmet Altan and Karim Kattan at Station Ausone, the events space of Mollat, Bordeaux’s great independent bookshop.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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La Machine \u00e0 Lire, place du Parlement<\/strong> Sat 14 Nov, 10 am<\/span><\/div>\n

Colum McCann, right in the heart of the Saint-Pierre district, for a morning talk.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Capucins\/Saint-Michel library<\/strong> Sat 14 Nov, 6 pm<\/span><\/div>\n

Karim Kattan, a stone’s throw from the Capucins market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Le Passeur bookshop<\/strong> Tue 17 Nov, 6:30 pm<\/span><\/div>\n

Estelle-Sarah Bulle.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Station Ausone and Grand Parc library<\/strong> Wed 18 Nov<\/span><\/div>\n

Juan Gabriel V\u00e1squez at Mollat, and Emin\u00e9 Sadk at the Grand Parc library at 6 pm.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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M\u00e9riadeck library<\/strong> Thu 19 Nov, 6:30 pm<\/span><\/div>\n

Oyinkan Braithwaite, at Bordeaux’s main municipal library.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Flora Tristan library, La Bastide<\/strong> Sat 21 Nov, 11 am<\/span><\/div>\n

Manal Salam\u00e9, on the right bank of the Garonne.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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Who is it for<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you need to be a keen reader to enjoy the festival?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
In short,<\/strong> no. The events are designed for all audiences, and many visitors discover an author on the spot before leaving with their book.<\/div>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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\ud83d\udca1 Bordeaux City Tours tip<\/p>\n

On Friday 13 November, treat yourself to a full day. In the late afternoon, our non-stop panoramic tour<\/a> leaves from stop no. 1 Quinconces and takes you around Bordeaux in 1 hr 20 min, from the Grand Th\u00e9\u00e2tre<\/a> 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<\/a> and our selection of things to do in Bordeaux<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Frequently asked questions<\/span><\/p>\n

Your questions about Lettres du Monde 2026<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Q.<\/strong>When is the Lettres du Monde 2026 festival in Bordeaux?<\/div>\n
The 23rd edition of Lettres du Monde runs from 12 to 22 November 2026, on the theme \u201cVacarme(s)\u201d. The opening night takes place on Friday 13 November at 7 pm at Station Ausone, Mollat bookshop.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Q.<\/strong>Are the Lettres du Monde events free?<\/div>\n
Yes, most events are free to attend, subject to available seating. A few may require booking, as indicated on the festival website.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Q.<\/strong>Which writers are invited to Lettres du Monde 2026?<\/div>\n
Guests include Ahmet Altan, Colum McCann, Juan Gabriel V\u00e1squez, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Estelle-Sarah Bulle, Karim Kattan, Vicente Luis Mora and Manal Salam\u00e9.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Q.<\/strong>Where can I find the full festival programme?<\/div>\n
The day-by-day programme is published on the official website lettresdumonde33.com. Bordeaux events take place notably at the Mollat bookshop, La Machine \u00e0 Lire and the M\u00e9riadeck, Capucins\/Saint-Michel, Grand Parc and Flora Tristan libraries.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n