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KUALA LUMPUR, March 23: A festival of 24 French-speaking authors will be held for the first time in Malaysia at the Alliance Française in Lorong Gurney here tomorrow (Sunday, March 24).
The festival by the Rencontre des Auteurs Francophones network is in partnership with the Alliance Française de Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian French Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the French Embassy in Malaysia, which also marks the launch of the Francophonie festival, “Making a better world”, from this week.
The aim of this culturally-rich event is to pay tribute to literary works from across the French-speaking (Francophone) world, which unites the 321 million French language speakers on all five continents, the French Embassy in Malaysia said in a statement.
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.
There will also be book signings by the 24 authors present, creative workshops in origami, designing illustration characters, Jawi and Arabic calligraphy, “My First Words in French” and three tips for successful iPhone photos.
Through the themed literary salons, they will also showcase 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.
Other highlights include a conference and tasting on Peranakan gastronomy and presentation of a Pantun Tree in French created by the students from several public schools in Malaysia and from the French School in Kuala Lumpur.
The embassy also said that on Oct 4 and 5, 2024, 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 March 20, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has launched the Francophonie Festival of “Making a Better World”, and #SingInFrench competition on social media.
From March 20 and until Sept 30, 2024, more than 40 countries and 400 organisations will be getting involved, setting up projects and events to demonstrate the vibrancy of Francophone creativity in all areas.
In Malaysia, this festival will be also celebrated in through the Odyssée Plastique project.
Between April and September 2024, Odyssée Plastique will raise awareness of the presence of French language in Malaysia and in other neighbouring countries, encourage communication with other pupils and students from the region besides offering the opportunity to interact with native French speakers and inspiring personalities.
Aimed at creating a regional dynamic around the French language, some 120 pupils learning French in public schools will be in Kerteh, Terengganu on June 5 and 6 to meet with researchers, NGOs, companies, artists and representatives 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.
The “Making a Better World” Francophonie Festival is about exploring 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.
More information and the programme are available from: www.alliancefrancaise.org.my/cultural-events/festival-des-auteurs/ and my.ambafrance.org/Festival-des-Auteurs-Francophones-March-24th
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