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NYU's Center for French Civilization and Culture, Institut Français, and
The Cultural Services of the French Embassy
present
The Second
FESTIVAL OF NEW FRENCH WRITING:
French & American Authors in Conversation
Thursday, February 24th through Saturday, February 26th, 2011
www.frenchwritingfestival.com
New York, January 21, 2011 - New York University, Institut Français and The Cultural Services of the French Embassy announce The Second Festival of New French Writing to take place this year on Thursday, February 24; Friday, February 25; and Saturday, February 26 at New York University. This festival brings together seven of France's most important writers with seven leading American writers, each for a one-hour discussion moderated by an American cultural critic.
Writers at The 2011 Festival of New French Writing are, from France: Stéphane Audeguy, Pascal Bruckner, Philippe Claudel, Laurence Cossé, Amin Maalouf, and Atiq Rahimi. And from the United States: Russell Banks, A.M. Homes, Ben Katchor, Jane Kramer, Mark Lilla, Rick Moody and Arthur Phillips. The Festival is co-curated by NYU's Director of French Civilization and Culture, Tom Bishop, and journalist, writer and television personality, Olivier Barrot.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Thursday, February 24
7:00pm - Festival Opening Comments
7:15pm - Laurence Cossé (A Novel Bookstore and A Corner of the Veil) + Rick Moody (The Ice Storm and The Four Fingers of Death), moderated by Open Letter Publisher, Chad W. Post
8:30pm - Novelist Stéphane Audeguy (The Theory of Clouds and The Only Son) + European Correspondent for The New Yorker, Jane Kramer
Friday, February 25 2:30pm - Philosopher Pascal Bruckner + Essayist and Professor of Humanities at Columbia University, Mark Lilla, moderated by New Yorker writer, Adam Gopnik 4:00pm - TBA + Ben Katchor (Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer, The Jew of New York and Shoehorn Technique), moderated by New Yorker Art Director Françoise Mouly 7:30pm - French/Afghan writer and filmmaker and Prix Goncourt winner, Atiq Rahimi (The Patience Stone) + Russell Banks (The Sweet Hereafter, Cloudsplitter), moderated by journalist Lila Azam Zanganeh Saturday, February 26 2:30pm - Prix Goncourt winner Amin Maalouf (The Rock of Tanios and Origins: A Memoir) + Arthur Phillips (Prague, The Song is You), moderated by NYU Professor of French, Judith Miller 4:00pm - Writer and film director, Philipe Claudel (I've Loved You So Long, Brodeck, By a Slow River) + A.M. Homes (The Mistress's Daughter, This Book Will Save Your Life), moderated by Harper's Magazine Publisher John R. (Rick) MacArthur Free and open to the public, The Festival of New French Writing will take place at Hemmerdinger Hall, Ground Floor, Silver Center, NYU, 100 Washington Square East - Entrance on Waverly Place. Simultaneous interpretation from both languages will be available. Booksignings will follow each event and the authors' books in English and French will be available for sale by Fieldstone Book Company. Speaking of the first Festival of New French Writing, Tom Bishop, NYU's Director of French Civilization and Culture, said that the French-American conversations brought out the singular qualities of each author and the national similarities and differences. In looking forward to the second edition in 2011, Bishop emphasized that "the 2011 Festival will showcase some of the best of this generation of French authors who are producing exciting, powerful, often humorous writing. They represent world literature at its best. In conversation with American counterparts with whom they share original takes on life in the 21st century, they will discuss their own works as well as the future of literature itself." For more information and bios of all the participants, please visit: www.frenchwritingfestival.com
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