Fontainebleau Book Fair: book signings, meetings and conferences in Seine-et-Marne (77)

On Sunday, September 27, 2026, Fontainebleau will become a gathering hub for literature enthusiasts, hosting talks and book signings for its Book Festival, just for one day under the banner of reading.

The town of Fontainebleau, in Seine-et-Marne, welcomes you on Sunday, September 27, 2026 for its book festival! Meet at the municipal theatre and at the Hôtel de l'Aigle Noir for a packed program of conferences, chances to meet authors during book-signing sessions, as well as a film screening and an awards ceremony. While signing sessions are free, the conferences require a 4-euro day pass.

Novelists, historians, essayists, children's book authors, and comic artists are inviting the public to hear their stories in a stunning setting, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.

September 2026 literary events not to miss in Paris and Île-de-France
Grands et petits lecteurs, Paris et sa région ont toujours quelque chose à vous offrir ! The French capital, which has welcomed countless poets and writers for centuries, will host in September 2026 a number of literary events you won’t want to miss! [Read more]

The book festival program

10:00–10:45, at the theater - The Children of the Resistance

In a small village in France occupied by the German army, three children refuse to submit to the enemy. But how do you fight such a powerful adversary when you're only thirteen? Vincent Dugomier has managed, with his ten-volume graphic novel, adapted for cinema, to tell the story of the Occupation for everyone, young and old! The film will be shown at Cinéma l'Ermitage at 1:40 PM.

10:00 – 10:45, at The Black Eagle - Writing to heal?Writing to heal?

At Fontainebleau Hospital, Olga finds calm by listening to the final words of dying patients. In her clinic, Camille, a devoted obstetrician-gynecologist, helps women give birth while shielding her own life from the surrounding chaos. Two fictional heroines, each in her own way, show how writing can heal, transmit, and set us free.

11:00–11:45, at the theatre - Horse and Power: The Cavalcade

Do we know of a sovereign, a prince, an emperor— in short, a power figure— whose horse isn’t part of the legend? Nicolas Chaudun probes the ancient bond that ties the horse to the prince; when Alix de Saint-André investigates her father, the chief equerry of Saumur’s Cadre Noir, who was suddenly dismissed without explanation.

11:00–11:45 a.m., at L'Aigle Noir- The Forest on Fire

In July, the Fontainebleau forest suffered the worst fire in its history. And across France and around the world, forests are burning. Without trees, we cannot live. In the face of the worsening effects of climate change, what can we do?Alain Baraton and Laurent Tillon will illuminate these crucial issues and give us the keys to keeping our love of forests alive.A fundraising event in support of the Fontainebleau forest, organized by the Fondation du Patrimoine.

12:00–12:45 PM, at the theater - Tomorrow the War?

Back in 1991, the collapse of the USSR had us thinking there would be no more wars in Europe—no clearly identified enemy. Yet in February 2022 we learned that an enemy can designate us. How can we explain this collective blindness that keeps us from even imagining a military conflict?

12:00–12:45 p.m., at the Black Eagle- Romain Gary, an unwavering hope for humanity

Forty books, eight pen names, two Goncourt Prizes... Romain Gary is the tireless chronicler of the human comedy. His vitality and humor make him one of the most fascinating writers of the 20th century.At seventeen, Maria Pourchet discovers Romain Gary. A literary and romantic shock she shared with us on France Inter, in the form of playful and sensitive letters.

2:00–2:45 p.m., at the theatre — Prehistory, so close to home?

Eloi Audoin-Rouzeau celebrates a Neanderthal man who was an animist, capable of sensitivity and beauty, facing Sapiens, thirsting for conquest. And if we have mistaken the “savage” in this confrontation that marks a turning point in human history? Marylène Patou-Mathis traces, over the long arc of time, our relationship with animals, whose wild side we are erasing today. What does this distance say about us? With Audrey Traon, director of the Nemours museum, we will see how prehistory helps shape our view of the living world?

2:00–2:45 p.m., at the Black Eagle Hotel- These sick people who run our government

In his latest investigation, Patrice Duhamel looks at the hidden illnesses of the presidents of the Fifth Republic, from Charles de Gaulle to Jacques Chirac. When the truth comes out, it becomes a matter of state, sparking scandals and political crises.

2:45 PM – 3:00 PM, at the theatre – Award ceremony for "History, Histories"

The Fontainebleau City Literary Prize will be presented by Mr. Julien Gondard, the mayor of Fontainebleau. Fontainebleau aims to honor, through this prize, contemporary literary works that keep history alive; the prize recognizes a work (novel, narrative, biography, or autobiography) that will plunge readers into a past, near or far.

3:00 – 3:45 PM, at the theater - The Struggle of Women Artists

The lives of painter Rosa Bonheur and photographer Lee Miller tell the same story of a struggle for freedom—personal, artistic, and political. Two fiercely independent women whose artistic gaze on the world and fearless creativity helped reshape their era.

3:00 – 3:45 p.m., at the Hôtel de l'Aigle Noir - Madame de Sévigné and Madame de Lafayette, a friendship so quintessentially French

As this year marks the 400th anniversary of the birth of the Marquise de Sévigné, Jean-Noël Liaut turns his attention to her little-known friendship with Madame de Lafayette. These two women were remarkably independent for their era and enriched French intellect.

4:00–4:45 p.m., at the theatre — Napoleon, In Private - Napoléon intime

Napoleon still casts a powerful spell. David Chanteranne will spotlight the talent of his painter Jacques-Louis David, while Laetitia de Witt, a Bonaparte descendant, will explore the emperor’s deep filial devotion, recalling his remark, “It is my mother to whom I owe all my fortune.”

4:00–4:45 PM, at the Black Eagle Hotel- The murderer and her lawyer

A 22-year-old new mother is accused of burying her newborn alive in a clearing in Berri. Convinced of the young woman’s innocence, her lawyer manages to secure an acquittal. Twenty years later, when his former client reappears, he wonders whether she told him the truth. A narrative freely inspired by a real-life case.

5:00 PM – 5:45 PM, at the theater - Coup d'État in Fontainebleau

Louis XIV, far from the image of the frivolous monarch, is laying the groundwork for his rise to power in the corridors of the Château de Fontainebleau. With a deep understanding of how the state works, Camille Pascal brings to life the France of the Ancien Régime.

5:00–5:45 PM, at the Black Eagle Hotel - Trailblazers: Women who pave the way

Olympe de Gouges, heroine of the French Revolution, could she be the first feminist in history? Which women, too often forgotten, nonetheless waged essential battles? An invitation to discover just how long the march toward women’s rights has been.

18h– 18h45, at the theater - The story of the universe: an odyssey

What do we really know about the Big Bang and the enigmatic black holes? How did the first galaxies and stars come into existence? What is the nature of the matter that could shape our universe? Christophe Galfard invites us on an odyssey through the depths of the Universe.