The short story festival in Nancy
The Festival 12000 Signes was a literary festival entirely dedicated to the art of the short story, organized every autumn in Nancy by the theater company Les Fruits du Hasard and the literary association 3 Patttes à 1 Canard. Created in 2019, the festival offered three days of musical readings, literary banquets, narrated walks, conversations with authors, and writing workshops in various locations in Nancy. After six editions, the festival ended in 2025.
The Festival 12000 Signes was a unique literary event, entirely dedicated to the art of the short story, a short literary genre which, as its name suggests, is traditionally limited to 12,000 characters. Created in 2019 by Benoît Fourchard and supported by the theater company Les Fruits du Hasard and the association 3 Patttes à 1 Canard, the festival has created a unique meeting point in the Nancy literary scene.
For three days, the festival presented the short story in various and inventive forms:
The festival took place in various cultural venues in Nancy: the LEM (Lieu d'Expression Musicale), the Jardin Botanique, independent bookstores, literary cafes, and other spaces in the city. This itinerancy offered an immersive and renewed literary experience.
Each edition of the festival was placed under the patronage of a renowned author. The first edition, in 2019, had the short story writer Claire Castillon as its patron. Subsequent editions hosted other figures from contemporary French literature.
The sixth and final edition of the festival was held from November 7 to 9, 2025, under the title “Le Chant des Signes”. This final edition, presented in a reduced format due to budget cuts, marked the end of a festival that had highlighted the art of the short story and created bridges between literature, theater, and music for six years.
Despite its end, the Festival 12000 Signes leaves a precious legacy: that of having demonstrated that the short story, often considered a minor genre, deserves a festival in its own right and can reach a wide audience through inventive and accessible presentation formats.
No edition in 2026. The festival ended after its 6th edition in November 2025 due to budget difficulties.
The Festival 12000 Signes ended after its sixth and final edition in November 2025. The information below is provided for historical purposes to document this cultural event that marked the literary life of Nancy from 2019 to 2025.
The festival was held in various locations in Nancy, investing a varied cultural geography each year:
The festival took place over three days in November, offering a dense program of musical readings, literary banquets, narrated walks, author conversations, and writing workshops. Each edition was placed under the patronage of a renowned author (godmother or godfather). The first edition in 2019 had the short story writer Claire Castillon as its godmother.
The festival was driven by two complementary structures:
Despite its closure, the Festival 12000 Signes leaves a precious legacy in the cultural landscape of Nancy. It helped to make the short story genre known and appreciated by a wide audience, to create encounters between authors and readers, and to invent original forms of literary mediation combining theater, music, and literature.
Company website: lesfruitsduhasard.com
Archives of the festival and programs from past editions can be consulted on the website of the company Les Fruits du Hasard.
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