International Festival of Women's Writings of Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye

The only European festival dedicated to women's writings

The International Festival of Women's Writings (FIEF) was born in 2012 in Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye, Colette's birthplace, in the Burgundian Yonne region. Founded by the association La Maison de Colette, led by Frédéric Maget, it is currently the only festival in Europe entirely dedicated to highlighting women's writings. Every year, on the second weekend of October, it brings together readers, writers, artists, researchers, and curious individuals, sometimes from around the world, to explore, through a different theme, the richness and diversity of female literary creation, from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Rooted in the land of Colette

The choice of Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye is not accidental: it is here that Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette grew up, nurtured by the landscapes of Puisaye, the free spirit of her mother Sido, and a French language of rare sensuality. This childhood in Puisaye shaped the work of one of the greatest French writers of the 20th century. The festival is part of this heritage and offers, in the Orangerie hall of the castle outbuildings, a space for reflection and celebration around the women who have written – and continue to write – history.

Round tables, readings, and meetings

Over two full days, FIEF unfolds a rich and free program: round tables, conferences, interviews, public readings, and meetings with authors punctuate the weekend. Booksellers set up in the Orangerie to allow visitors to purchase the speakers' works and leave with dedications. Temporary exhibitions are also offered at the Maison natale de Colette and the Musée Colette, located in the village.

Themes that renew the perspective each year

Since its creation, each edition has explored a new thematic territory that spans centuries and genres:

• 2012 — Women journalists (1st edition)
• 2013 — Women travelers
• 2014 — Women and war
• 2015 — Women and crime fiction
• 2016 — Feminism in writings
• 2017 — Learned women and pioneers
• 2018 — Women of the theater
• 2019 — Orientalism in the feminine
• 2021 — Writers from Canada
• 2022 — European Women (10th edition)
• 2023 — Colette, a woman among others (11th edition, 150th anniversary)
• 2024 — Mystics. Women and spirituality (12th edition)
• 2025 — Eros in the feminine (13th edition)

Internationally renowned guests

Over the years, FIEF has hosted major figures in world literature: Margaret Atwood, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Isabel Allende, Laure Adler, Amélie Nothomb, Nina Bouraoui, Chloé Delaume, Katherine Pancol, Chantal Thomas (Académie française), and Coraly Zahonero from the Comédie-Française. The diversity of voices — academicians, best-selling authors, activists, researchers — is the festival's hallmark.

A committed, free, and open festival for all

FIEF is resolutely anchored in a spirit of sharing: admission is free on both days. The festival benefits from the support of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regional Council, the DRAC, the Yonne Departmental Council, and the Fondation La Poste. It also carries out outreach activities, including writing workshops with women from priority neighborhoods in Sens, Auxerre, and Migennes. Two hours from Paris via the A6, Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye is accessible by car or train, from Auxerre (40 minutes) or Toucy (20 minutes).