Bullez à la Confluence - BD Prize

Comic Strips at the Heart of Haut-Béarn

Bullez à la Confluence is an original literary prize that celebrates comic strips in the Haut-Béarn. Created in 2022 by the Communauté de Communes du Haut-Béarn, this prize invites teenage and adult readers to discover five albums carefully selected by the territory's librarians, and then vote for their favorite.

A Participatory Prize

The operation of Bullez à la Confluence relies on the active participation of readers:

• Selection: Librarians from the network choose five recent comic strips, prioritizing diversity of styles and graphic and narrative quality.
• Borrowing: The albums are available at the Médiathèque des Gaves in Oloron-Sainte-Marie and in the Haut-Béarn relay libraries, as well as in the CDI of Oloron high schools.
• Reading: Participants have several months to read the five works in the selection.
• Voting: Each reader can vote by dropping a ballot in the ballot box at the library where they borrowed the albums or by voting online via a QR code.
• Result: The winner is announced at a festive event at the end of the season.

Events Around Comic Strips

The prize is accompanied by a program of events that enrich the experience:

• Exhibitions: Original plates and works by comic strip authors presented at the Médiathèque des Gaves.
• Meetings with Authors: The creators of the selected albums come to meet the public for signing sessions and discussions.
• Shows: Theatrical adaptations of comic strips and artistic performances around the 9th art.

The Médiathèque des Gaves

The Médiathèque des Gaves, located on Rue des Gaves in Oloron-Sainte-Marie, is the heart of the initiative. This inter-municipal media library offers an extensive collection of comic strips and graphic novels, and regularly hosts exhibitions and cultural events.

Oloron-Sainte-Marie, City of Art

Oloron-Sainte-Marie is a sub-prefecture of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques located at the confluence of the Gaves d'Aspe and d'Ossau – hence the name "Confluence" for the prize. The city is known for its Cathédrale Sainte-Marie, a UNESCO World Heritage site on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route, and for its rich cultural and gastronomic heritage.