Literary Fall Returns to Villa Albertine This September

Villa Albertine invites readers, writers, publishers, and translators to gather for a new edition of Literary Fall, a two-day celebration of contemporary French and Francophone literature with a special focus on speculative fiction.

Taking place on September 25 and 26, 2026, the festival will explore the vitality, diversity, and international reach of French-language literature, with a special focus on fantasy, science fiction, comics, and the literature of the imagination. Through conversations and panels, Literary Fall will bring together acclaimed authors, translators, editors, critics, and publishers from both sides of the Atlantic to examine how stories travel and shape our understanding of the world. 

The festival will include the following sessions: 

Friday, September 25 

• 3 PM | The New Landscape of Literary Translation
• 4:30 PM | What French and Francophone Literature Offers the American Imagination 
• 6 PM | Conversation: An Evening with Leïla Slimani

Saturday, September 26 

• 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | From Moebius to Marvel: How French Comics Helped Shape American Fantasy 
• 2 PM – 3 PM | Romantasy Across the Atlantic: A Conversation on the Worldwide Romantasy Boom 
• 3:30 PM- 4:30 PM | Utopias, Dystopias, and the Politics of Imagination
• 5 PM – 6 PM | Lore Across Languages: Translation, Adaptation, and Worldbuilding

Stay tuned for our complete lineup of events and speakers.

Register for the festival and to receive program updates here.