For this second edition of the “reading lab” in Paris, we decided to meet in a literary café/bar in the 20th arrondissement, one of the most popular areas of the city because of its unique, authentic and charming character.
In fact, we met in a very small and narrow street in Belleville, a place known for its rich and diverse cultural life. The rue Dénoyez, where the little café was located, is known to be one of the most colourful streets in the area, thanks to the many street art works that cover the walls.
The participants each presented their book, its impact on their lives and the reasons why they chose it. In addition, we were able to listen to excerpts from different books that took us to the four corners of the world, such as Albert Camus‘ L’étranger, set in Algeria, or Jonas Johansson’s Le vieux qui ne voulait pas fêter son anniversiare which takes place in Sweden.
Journeys across countries, but also across time, such as the book Peau d’homme, by Hubert and Zanzim, situated in the Renaissance period, or the Victorian period through the discovery of the book Cime Tempestose by Emily Bronte.
Finally, some books revealed real passions, such as a taste for the theatre after reading Molière’s Le médecin malgré lui, or even a commitment to activism and feminism, as in the case of Rose Lamy’s Défaire le discours sexiste dans les médias.
All these books can be discovered from the trailers produced during this reading lab and which can be found in our digital library.
