First Festival of French-Speaking Authors in Malaysia

The Rencontre des Auteurs Francophones network is organizing, in partnership with the Alliance Française de Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian French Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the French Embassy in Malaysia, the first festival of French-speaking authors in Malaysia on Sunday March 24th, at the Alliance Française de Kuala Lumpur. 

This culturally rich event pays tribute to literary works from across the French-speaking (Francophone) world, which unites the 321 million French language speakers on all 5 continents. This literature festival will bring together accomplished authors, emerging talents and passionate readers in a dynamic environment brimming with exchanges, workshops, book sales and various literary activities. Visitors will have the unique opportunity to interact with renowned francophone authors, discover new voices from different francophone regions and immerse themselves in the rich palette of francophone literature.

All day long:

• Book signings by the 24 authors present
• Creative workshops: origami, designing illustration characters, jawi and Arabic caligraphy, my first words in French, 3 tips for successful iPhone photos, etc.
• Themed literary salons: new terms in Malay and French, martial arts in the Malay world, planter writers and their contribution to French-language literature, self-translation and artificial intelligence, etc.
• Media library transformed into a bookshop with 5 booksellers present

Highlights:

11am: the Book Fresco: all the jobs in the literary chain explained and closing with a theatrical reading of the book on which the Fresco is based.

1pm: Conference and tasting on Peranakan gastronomy

2pm: Presentation of the Pantun Tree in French created by the students from several public schools in Malaysia and from the French School in Kuala Lumpur.

4pm: Interview with guest of honour Shih Li Kow, winner of the 2018 First Foreign Novel Prize with The Sum of our Follies

This week also marks the launch of the Francophonie festival: Making a better world. On 4 and 5 October 2024, the representatives of more than 100 States and Governments will take part in the 19th Francophonie Summit in Villers-Cotterêts in France. 

To celebrate this year of pride in the French language, as well as International Francophonie Day on 20 March, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs is launching the Francophonie Festival, “Making a Better World”, and the #SingInFrench competition on social media. 

From 20 March and until the end of September 2024, more than 40 countries and 400 organizations are getting involved, setting up projects and events to demonstrate the vibrancy of Francophone creativity in all areas.

The “Making a Better World” Francophonie Festival is an invitation to explore the artistic, cultural and entrepreneurial dimensions of Francophone creativity. This festival will celebrate a Francophonie that is vibrant, tangible and open to the world; a vector for cooperation and solutions in the face of global challenges that is embodied by inspiring personalities from all over the world, particularly the up-and-coming Francophone generation.

This Festival will be also celebrated in Malaysia thanks to the Odyssée Plastique project. Taking place over several days between April and September 2024, Odyssée Plastique will raise participants' awareness of the presence of French language in Malaysia and in other neighbouring countries, encouraging communication with other pupils and students from the region, while offering the opportunity to interact with native French speakers and inspiring personalities. The project will create a regional dynamic around the French language.

In Malaysia, the event will take place in Kerteh, Terengganu, on the 5th and 6th of June 2024 with 120 pupils learning French in public schools. During 2 days, the participants will meet with researchers, NGOs, companies, artists and representative from the state of Terengganu working on plastic pollution and waste management. They will also participate in a beach clean-up and create an art piece.

More information and the program on www.alliancefrancaise.org.my/cultural-events/festival-des-auteurs/ and my.ambafrance.org/Festival-des-Auteurs-Francophones-March-24th