The Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation supporting the 3rd Marathon des Mots event

The Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation launches Nouvelle Vague

Because it supports literature all year long and encourages meetings between writers, musicians and actors, the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation is supporting the 3rd Marathon des Mots (“Word Marathon”) event, which will take place in Toulouse between 13 and 17 June 2007.

The Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation asked five journalists – Irène Frain of Paris Match, Pascale Frey of Elle, Anne Michelet of Version Femina, Daniel Schick of Europe 1, and Marie-Laure Delorme of Le Journal du Dimanche – to choose a young author who is particularly bold in their writing. Those chosen now form Nouvelle Vague: Antoine Bueno, Karine Reysset, Eva Kristina Mindszenti, Marc Molk and Joy Sorman.

All these young novelists will be in Toulouse for the Marathon des mots and their texts will be read by leading actors: François Berléand, Hélène Fillières, Marianne Basler and Ariel Wizman.

Encouraging the sharing of knowledge and emotion and rendering culture ever more accessible also form part of the vocation of the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation. As part of the Marathon des mots project, the winner of its 2006 writer’s grant, Grégoire Polet, has been working with youngsters from the Raymond Naves college in Toulouse around his latest work, “Excusez les fautes du copiste”. A piece of written work will be reproduced during the festival.

The Marathon des mots will see 300 guests coming together for a grand celebration of words. 250 readings, shows and meetings that will fill the five days of the festival, in over 40 venues across Toulouse. Leading figures from international literature, actors, singers, musicians… all united by a love of words.