Georges Perec at the center of an exhibition at the BnF François-Mitterrand

The writer Georges Perec is at the heart of a show bearing his name, on view at the BnF François Mitterrand from October 13, 2026 to February 14, 2027. Come discover this indispensable 20th‑century author.

He is best known for his novel La Disparition, a book written entirely without the letter "e." But Georges Perec hides a host of other surprises. A writer and poet, author of radio plays and theater works, and a member of the Oulipo... Come discover this remarkable artist through an exhibition organized by the Bibliothèque nationale de France, running from 13 October 2026 to 14 February 2027.

The exhibition dedicated to Georges Perec brings together nearly 300 manuscripts, photographs, paintings, drawings and personal objects. Installed on the site François Mitterrand, this show takes us into the life and work of an unconventional writer whose career has been anything but straightforward.

Georges Perec was born in Paris in 1936 into a Jewish family of Polish origin. His father died in 1940, struck down in combat by an artillery shell. His mother was later deported and murdered at Auschwitz. The young Georges lived in hiding to escape the Nazi regime. Those painful early years, the tragically lost parents, left a deep mark on the writer. These losses repeatedly surface in Perec’s work.

The BnF exhibition therefore aims to put the man in the spotlight as much as the writer through this unprecedented show. The itinerary unfolds in several original, interactive chapters and offers an unusual portrait of Perec.

We rediscover the major works of Georges Perec: Things, Life: A User's Manual, La Disparition, A Void, A Man Sleeps... The exhibition also exposes his connections to art and literature, and how he used writing to assert himself and work through his traumas.

The tour highlights the Oulipo, that group of writers Perec belonged to. Like his peers, Georges Perec approached literature from a fresh angle. By imposing constraints on himself, and by following mathematical models or challenges, the writer sought to push the boundaries of his art and invent new ways of writing. Thanks to these special rules, he was driven to become more creative and original.

Literature lovers are in for a treat this autumn at the BnF François Mitterrand as they discover a one-of-a-kind author.

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