2000-09, 10 years already!

Ten years already and the memories flow; how can we choose between the emotional encounter of the two former hostages Jean-Paul Kauffman and Brian Keenan, the huge success of JMG Le Clézio’s contribution, the roars of laughter at Nell McCafferty’s caustic humour or Azouz Begag’s short musical interludes on the guitar and much more?

This year the festival will rock us to the rhythm of the turmoil of love and death, between joy and sorrow, laughter and tears, hatred and love. L’amour, La mort, a universal theme written about since the very first literature and for this year’s festival the theme to be discussed by our writers who will reveal their very souls!
All sorts of questions will be raised: why is the theme of love so closely linked to that of death? Is passionate love a source of pleasure or pain? Is it as wonderful as it is devastating? How far would one go for love? Is first love always the best? Must love always end?

We have all experienced these terrifying feelings, at one time or another, without always understanding them. So… in April we will attempt to solve these mysteries!

The Festival is organised jointly by the Alliance Française Dublin and the Cultural Service of the French Embassy. It owes its longevity to the trust in which it is held by its many partners who support it. Its success has also been made possible by the generosity of its sponsors – the Ireland Fund of France, The Arts Council, Culture Ireland, Foras Na Gaeilge, Poetry Ireland, The Irish Writers’ Centre, Ireland Literature Exchange, Dublin City Council – by the help of several companies, by broad media coverage (The Irish Times, RTÉ lyric fm, The Irish Eyes etc…) as well as by the active participation of its Organising Committee.

Naturally we also salute the involvement of all our writers, the real actors in this great event. We thank them sincerely for having accepted our invitation and are convinced that they will make this 10th anniversary an exceptional edition.

Claire Bourgeois
Director
Alliance Française Dublin

Patrick Debut
Cultural Councellor
French Embassy in Ireland