Hors Limites 2026: The Free Contemporary Literature Festival Spanning the Entire Seine-Saint-Denis

The Hors Limites Festival offers a unique exploration of contemporary literature across an entire department, the Seine-Saint-Denis. Spanning two weeks, from March 27 to April 11, 2026, this festival is organized by the department’s network of public libraries. It brings literature directly to local residents, with events taking place in about thirty towns across Seine-Saint-Denis and in Paris, featuring numerous media libraries and partner venues.

Approximately a hundred authors and artists will gather for a diverse lineup of events: meet-and-greets, screenings, performances, musical readings, workshops, and more, all dedicated to celebrating literature. The two-week festival kicks off on March 27th at 8 p.m. at the Robert Desnos Library in Montreuil, with a musical reading of "Ce que le ventre dit" featuring poet and slam artist Lisette Lombé, rapper Marc Nammour, and musician Jérôme Boivin.

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To close the festival on the evening of April 11th, the audience will be treated to a musical reading at the Louis Aragon Media Library in Rosny-sous-Bois. This event will focus on Kinga Wyrzykowska’s novel Princess, featuring the author alongside actresses Fatima N'Doye, Jean-Baptiste Puech, and Cédric Zimmerlin. Two scenes come together for this closing act: one French, one Polish, live and in sync—interactive, blending literature with sound and imagery.

A "literary tour bus" is also organized annually. The concept: escorting an author and their guests across the department to explore their work through various stops. Following Philippe Jaenada's journey last year, Nathacha Appanah will lead festival-goers from Aubervilliers to Bobigny, passing through Noisy-le-Sec, on Saturday, April 11th, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with Lucie-Anne Belgy joining the event at the final stop.

Entirely free of charge, this festival showcases the work done by book professionals to promote literature, through the cross-fertilization of different art forms, including cinema and live performance. It's an opportunity to rediscover the Seine-Saint-Denis region, which is undergoing radical change, through different eyes. Discover the full program on the festival website!