What if we made reading more accessible to everyone? That’s the slightly crazy challenge that The Nights of Reading kicked off 9 years ago when they were created. Since then, it has grown to include 4 days and 4 nights each year celebrating the unconditional love of reading, with a specific theme for each edition. This year, the theme is quite diverse: heritages. It’s a notion that is both intimate and collective, encompassing ideas of transmission, inheritance, and re-reading.
A Gigantic Event
With just a few days to go before the festivities begin, more than 7,000 physical and digital events are already lined up in over 3,000 libraries, bookstores, museums, monuments, or schools... All across France, from Paris to Corsica, including Brittany, and even abroad or online. It's going to be a blast!
Diverse and vibrant, programming is for everyone: history lovers or more poetic souls, bookworms, young or young at heart, in short, everyone.See this post on InstagramTwo events that you definitely shouldn't miss, if you can! Luckily, thanks to the thousands of activities available to you over these 4 days, you'll have the chance to find the one made for you. And if for some people, checking out the full program (which you can find right here) seems a bit overwhelming, we suggest our 3 favorite picks to discover in the area!
3 events not to miss in ParisAh ça ira! at La Conciergerie
On Saturday, January 25th, La Conciergerie, the former prison of the Palais, has a whole program planned for you.of the City, whose most famous resident was undoubtedly Marie-Antoinette. We kick off the day with a bang, thanks to the history of the Revolution in songs, before enjoying a tasting treat accompanied by tales from the Middle Ages. And to top it all off, the edition's godmother, Maylis de Kerangal herself, will share readings of texts centered around the concept of heritage.
The Conciergerie
2, Boulevard du Palais – 1st
Saturday, January 25
Visit at 10:30 AM, Middle Ages readings at 3:30 PM and 5 PM, readings by Maylis de Kerangal at 6:30 PM
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An immersive theatrical reading in the Catacombs of ParisBook lovers and thrill-seekers, we’ve found the perfect evening for you. On Friday, January 24,...Meet you in one of the most fascinating places in the capital, the catacombs, for a reading evening like no other! In the heart of the largest ossuary in the world, the Emersiøn company will bring to life some great texts from the Francophone repertoire, reciting the words of Victor Hugo, Nathacha Appanah, and Olivier Rodin. A moment that is as mystical as it is poetic.
Catacombs of Paris
1, avenue du Colonel-Henri-Rol-Tanguy – 14th
Saturday, January 25
Show at 7:30 PM and 8 PM by reservation
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© Les Catacombes de Paris
Reading and meeting with Gabrielle Althen at the Arc de TriompheThis 9th edition of Nuits de la Lecture is set to be unique, as it marks the very first participation of the Arc de Triomphe, an emblematic monument of the capital. For the occasion, Gabrielle Althen, author, poet, and esteemed professor, will immerse us in the art of celebration through a special work created just for this extraordinary place. She will also share other texts from the greatest French authors, before inviting the audience to wander freely through the monument.
Arc de Triomphe
Place Charles-de-Gaulle – 8th
Friday, January 24
Reading and meeting at 7:30 PM by registration
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Bonus: Paris Libraries Gone WildFor 4 days, Bibliocité, a cultural operator that has been working for 40 years to program Parisian libraries, is going all out to bring you a dream program across all of Paris. Exhibitions, meetings, guided tours, readings, shows, and even conferences await you in a showcase of events from one end of the capital to the other!
Libraries of the City of Paris
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© Bibliocité / Romain RabierNights of Reading 2025
From January 23 to January 26, 2025
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