Scenography on the square of the Olympe de Gouges Theater©PhilippeColin“PAR CŒUR ET PAR CORPS, MOT A MOT” with Marie-Hélène Lafon and 80 writers and artists In November, Montauban lives to the rhythm of Lettres d’automne! Opening night on Tuesday 18 November at 6.30pm with Marie-Hélène Lafon.
Lafon Marie Helene HorizolivierrollerThis year, Lettres d’Automne welcomes Marie-Hélène Lafon as its guest of honour. The author of novels and short stories, most of which are rooted in the rural world of her native Cantal, she embodies the kind of literature based on the land and authenticity that resonates deeply with the festival’s identity.
Marie-Hélène Lafon’s work stands out for its unique ability to give voice to characters locked in silence, who exist only through their bodies and gestures. This sensitive yet powerful literary approach explores the unspoken aspects of the rural world with remarkable accuracy.
Her talent has been recognised by a number of prestigious awards: the Prix Goncourt for short stories in 2016 (Histoires, Buchet-Chastel) and the Prix Renaudot in 2020 (Histoire du fils, Buchet-Chastel). These awards testify to the critical and popular recognition enjoyed by this singular author.
Lettres d’Automne continues to grow and shine. The figures for the 2024 edition bear witness to this vitality: 2 weeks of festival, 96 authors, publishers, artists, 128 eventsfor all audiences, 17,933 festival-goers, including 3,555 schoolchildren. These figures illustrate the scale of this major cultural event and its strong roots in the educational and social fabric of the region.
Over the years, the festival has welcomed some of the greatest voices in contemporary French-language literature. The guests of honour at previous editions of the festival have included some of the world’s best-known authors: Jakuta Alikavazovic and Sylvain Prudhomme (2024), Maylis de Kerangal (2023), Alice Zeniter and Pierre Ducrozet (2022), Mathias Enard (2021), Léonora Miano, Mathias Enard and Patrick Chamoiseau (2020), testifying to the high standards and prestige of this literary event.
