Past Events
FRANCE
Le rôle de l'écrivain: Autour de David Foster Wallace L'écrivain a-t-il du pouvoir?
22 September, 11.30 a.m., Cœur de ville Auditorium, 98 rue de Fontenay, 94300 Vincennes
Animé par Christine Ferniot, Télérama. Conteur, témoin, artiste ou franc-tireur : quelle est la place de l'écrivain dans l'Amérique d'aujourd'hui? Comment est-il perçu par la société? Existe-t-il une figure traditionnelle de l'écrivain américain ou tout reste-t-il à inventer? À quoi peut bien servir un écrivain? Avec Russell Banks, Louise Erdrich, Nicole Krauss, Luis Sepúlveda and John Freeman.
Écrivain américain, citoyen du monde: Écrire, ça s'apprend ? Quand "je" est un autre
22 September, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., Cœur de ville, Auditorium, 98 rue de Fontenay, 94300 Vincennes
Animé par John Freeman, Granta, David Bezmogis, Teju Cole, Gary Shteyngart. Les Indiens mis à part, on sait que tous les Américains viennent d'ailleurs, qu'ils ont une autre histoire, et la littérature américaine a toujours reflété cette diversité. Aujourd'hui, que l'on vienne d'Ukraine, du Nigéria, de Yougoslavie ou de Russie, on peut toujours devenir un écrivain américain ou canadien. Quels rapports entretient-on alors avec l'Amérique, avec la littérature nord-américaine, avec sa culture d'origine ? Quel regard portent ces auteurs sur cette double appartenance, en quoi cela change-t-il leur façon d'écrire et leur rapport au monde?
Rencontre Granta: Looking North, Looking South
23 September, 3 p.m., Cœur de ville, Salle Robert Louis, 98 rue de Fontenay, 94300 Vincennes. Rencontre Believer Table, ronde ATLF 3.
Animé par John Freeman, Granta, Nicole Krauss, Karen Russell, Alejandro Zambra. De la skyline de New York aux sommets des Andes, les Meilleurs Jeunes Romanciers de chez Granta: Nicole Krauss, Daniel Galera, Santiago Roncagliolo, Karen Russell et Alejandro Zambra se joignent à l’éditeur de Granta, John Freeman, pour discuter d’histoires d’Amérique. Qu’ il s’agisse de parcs d’attractions à alligators en Floride, de l’histoire intime d’un bureau d’écrivain à New York, du mystère qui entoure la mort d’un grand-père au Brésil, d’une enquête criminelle qui se déroule à Ayacucho pendant la semaine sainte ou de cet universitaire chilien qui imagine la vie de sa fille quand elle sera femme, ce débat explorera les relations entre l’Amérique du Nord et l’Amérique du Sud, et l’absence de limite à l’imagination du lieu.
Rencontre Granta: Writing About Sex
23 September, 4 p.m., Cœur de ville Auditorium, 98 rue de Fontenay 94300 Vincennes, Table ronde ATLF 3 Lecture de Jacques Bonnaffé et Théo hakola.
Animé par John Freeman, Granta, Jennifer Egan, Gary Shteyngart.
Remembering Anthony Shadid
3 September 7:30 p.m. at Shakespeare & Co, 37 rue de la Bûcherie, 75005 Paris
Granta’s John Freeman presents House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family and a Lost Middle East by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anthony Shadid, who passed away earlier this year. John will be in discussion with one of France’s most acclaimed writers, Amin Maalouf; Shadid’s colleague from the Washington Post, Ed Cody; journalist Katia Jarjoura, and Jihane Chouaib, the director of the documentary Dream Country. House of Stone ‘. . . offers a powerful reminder of the impact that never-ending insecurity has on people long after the violence that ruined their lives has been forgotten by the rest of the world.’ New York Times
Terror, Horror, Apocalypse! Writing About the Worst Thing
27 June, 7.30 p.m., Shakespeare and Company, 37 rue de la Bucherie, 75005 Paris. Contact the store for tickets: news@shakespeareandcompany.com.
Granta editor John Freeman explores writing terror, horror and apocalypse through readings and conversaion with
Chris Adrian, Dinaw Mengestu, Darin Straus and Colson Whitehead.
Britain
Britain: The Paris Launch
21 May, 7 p.m., Shakespeare and Company, 37 rue de la Bucherie, 75005 Paris. Free. RSVP to events@granta.com
Granta launches it latest issue, themed Britain, with a night of readings and music. As Britain prepares for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the summer Olympics, Granta is publishing a collection of poetry, memoir and fiction that shows some of stories Britain is telling about itself today. Join Granta online editor Ted Hodgkinson for a night of dramatic readings, wine and live music from British singer/songwriter Lail Arad.
BELGIUM
Visions of Britain: A Granta discussion with Adam Foulds
22 May, 6.30 p.m., Sterling Books, Wolvengracht 38, 1000 Brussels
Adam Foulds is a thrilling literary talent whose work dives into the shadows of Britain today and uncovers pearls that illuminate the bonds and fractures in society. With Granta online editor Ted Hodgkinson, Foulds will read from and discuss ‘Dreams of a Leisure Society’, his new story in Granta 119: Britain, which tells us of two young men who are part-time purveyors of prescription-grade pharmaceuticals to clubbers and the problem one has with the idea that life should be easy. This event is part of an international series that explores the stories Britain is telling about itself today.
THE NETHERLANDS
Visions of Britain: A Granta discussion with Adam Foulds
23 May, 5 p.m., Athenaeum Boekhandel, in collaboration with SPUI 25, Spui 25-27, 1012 WX Amsterdam. Ticket details to come.
Granta magazine returns to Athenaeum with Adam Foulds, a Booker-shortlisted and prize-winning literary talent, and Granta online editor Ted Hodgkinson to launch the latest issue, Granta 119: Britain, with readings and conversation. This edition of the magazine of new writing takes a timely look at the delicate human interactions within the sometimes brutal context of historical and contemporary Britain. Foulds’ new story in Granta ‘Dreams of a Leisure Society’ tells us of two young men who are part-time purveyors of prescription-grade pharmaceuticals to clubbers and the problem one has with the idea that life should be easy. This event is part of an international Granta series that explores the stories Britain is telling about itself today.
FRANCE
10 Years Later, The Paris Launch
18 October, 7 p.m., Village Voice Bookshop, 4 Rue Princesse, 75006 Paris, France
One day in September, a decade ago, all eyes were turned towards New York. Where are we looking now? Through fiction, reportage, memoir, poetry and photography, Granta 116: 10 Years Later looks at how an event like 9/11 reverberates, with stories from Tunisia to Toronto. Join journalist Janine di Giovanni and author Tahar Ben Jelloun to explore this question, through readings of their work in Granta 116 and in conversation with Granta Deputy Editor Ellah Allfrey. Free.
GERMANY
Reflections on 9/11: A Granta conversation
9 September, 8.45 p.m., Internationales Literaturfestival Berlin, Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Schaperstrasse 24, 10719 Berlin, Germany
Granta 116 contributor Tahar Ben Jelloun, writer and Granta contributor Pankaj Mishra and others join Granta Deputy Editor Ellah Allfrey in a discussion about how 9/11 continues to reverberate, morally, politically and aesthetically. Tickets from €4. Email ticketinfo@berlinerfestspiele.de to buy tickets or visit the event page on the festival website.
Conflict and Writing: How do we tell stories after a crisis?
12 September, 7 p.m., Dialogue Books, Schönleinstraße 31, 10967 Berlin
Join authors Nam Le, Priya Basil and Granta contributor Madeleine Thien to explore how we tell stories after a crisis with Granta editor John Freeman. Nam Le’s debut collection The Boat spans the slums of Colombia, the streets of Tehran, New York City and Iowa. His stories are richly lyrical and full of insight into the way we live now. Priya Basil’s novels include The Obscure Logic of the Heart which tells the story of second generation immigrants living in London. Madeleine Thien’s recent novel Dogs at the Perimeter, which was extracted in Granta 114: Aliens, opens a window between East and West, and looks into the disappearance of loved ones, the fall of Phnom Penh and the Khmer Rouge. Free.
FRANCE
10 Years Later, The Paris Launch
18 October, 7 p.m., Village Voice Bookshop, 4 Rue Princesse, 75006 Paris, France
One day in September, a decade ago, all eyes were turned towards New York. Where are we looking now? Through fiction, reportage, memoir, poetry and photography, Granta 116: 10 Years Later looks at how an event like 9/11 reverberates, with stories from Tunisia to Toronto. Join journalist Janine di Giovanni and author Tahar Ben Jelloun to explore this question, through readings of their work in Granta 116 and in conversation with Granta Deputy Editor Ellah Allfrey. Free.
29 June, 7 p.m. – ‘God and Fiction’
Shakespeare & Co. Bookshop, 37 rue de la Bûcherie, 75005 Paris
A conversation with Chris Adrian, Nathan Englander, Aleksandar Hemon and Granta editor John Freeman.