The Sofitel New York is launching the second season of its intimate French-language author talks, Rendez-Vous Littéraires. Held in the hotel’s Gaby Brasserie Française, the series returns with a slate of conversations that bring contemporary Francophone writers to New York audiences. The first event of the season is scheduled for February 7, 2017, at 6 p.m.
Journalist and familiar TV5Monde personality Olivier Barrot will host the series. Over the course of the season, featured guests include Maryline Desbiolles, Alain Mabanckou and Raphaël Enthoven, each representing a distinct voice in modern French letters.
Maryline Desbiolles, a poet and novelist, released a thoughtful study of French composer Maurice Jaubert on April 18, 2017. The work examines Jaubert’s collaborations with notable filmmakers such as Jean Vigo and René Clair and reflects Desbiolles’s attentive, reflective literary style.
Alain Mabanckou, a writer born in the Republic of Congo and educated in Paris, appears on February 7, 2017. He has received numerous literary honors and holds teaching positions at UCLA and the Collège de France. A major figure in Francophone literature, Mabanckou is widely admired for novels and essays that explore contemporary African life and the experiences of Africans living in France.
Raphaël Enthoven will appear on March 7, 2017. A French philosopher and educator, Enthoven co-authored an acclaimed Proust dictionary with his father, Jean-Paul Enthoven, and is also recognized for his television and radio programs that make philosophy accessible to a broad audience.
Space for each evening is limited. Advance reservations are recommended and can be made by contacting Daniel Harpaz by email at [email protected] or by phone at 646-251-9211. Tickets include wine, hors d’oeuvres and a copy of the author’s book signed at the event.