The next edition of The Comedy of the Book – 10 Days in May is a general literary festival organized since 1986 by Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, in collaboration with independent bookstores in the area. Despite the budgetary challenges facing many cultural events, the Métropole and its partners (Centre National du Livre, Région Occitanie, Sofia) reaffirm their commitment to books and reading, which are vectors of emancipation and sharing. Each edition offers a rich and bold program, structured around several themes: a carte blanche to an author, highlighting publishers, exploring European and international literatures, as well as a focus on youth and comics. The event gives special attention to new voices and independent publishing. For the third consecutive year, the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire will be awarded during the festival, as part of a long-term partnership. The awards ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 23, at 6 PM. The book fair, featuring booksellers, authors, and publishers, will take place over the last three days, Friday, May 22, Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24, 2026, on the Promenade du Peyrou. The participating bookstores this year include: Arg !, Azimuts, Le Bookshop, La Cavale, L’Epluche-livres, Fiers de Lettres, La Géosphère, Gibert Montpellier, le Grain des Mots, La Mémoire du Livre, Nemo, L’Opuscule, Planètes Interdites, Sauramps, Scrupule, Le Toucan Rêveur. Among the highlights: Meetings and debates with prominent literary figures such as Gisèle Pelicot, Laurent Mauvignier, Ukrainian writer Sofia Andrukhovych, and Palestinian poet Elias Sanbar. Also on the agenda: a carte blanche to author Salomé Saqué, in dialogue with Blanche Sabbah, a spotlight on the publishing houses Christian Bourgois and La Peuplade (Quebec), the awarding of the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire, youth meetings with around twenty authors, as well as original activities like a literary karaoke.
Event from the official agenda of Montpellier; location: Montpellier Tourist Office; address: Place du Peyrou, 34000, Montpellier.
Source: Agenda Montpellier