Literary Fall Returns to Villa Albertine in September

Villa Albertine invites readers, writers, publishers, and translators to gather for a new edition of Literary Fall, a two-day festival taking place on September 25 and 26, 2026, with a special focus on speculative fiction.

The festival will explore the vitality, diversity, and global reach of French-language writing, featuring a conversation with author Leïla Slimani, a panel on contemporary French and Francophone literature in the American literary landscape, and a conversation on translating world literature, co-organized with the Center for the Art of Translation. On Saturday, the festival turns to fantasy, science fiction, comics, and the rich French world of littératures de l’imaginaire.

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.

All events are presented in English.

The festival will include the following sessions: 

Friday, September 25 

• 3 PM | The New Landscape of Literary Translation (Co-organized with the Center for the Art of 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.