Festival Terres de Paroles

Terres de Paroles: Literature Shared Across Seine-Maritime

Since 2012, the Festival Terres de Paroles has established itself as one of the major literary events in Normandy. Born from an initiative of the Department of Seine-Maritime, this festival aims to promote literature in all its forms, by engaging with audiences throughout the departmental territory.

The originality of Terres de Paroles lies in its traveling and multidisciplinary nature. Texts are not just read; they are experienced, shared, sometimes sung, staged, or set to music. The festival brings together authors, actors, publishers, artists, booksellers, musicians, and librarians around a common passion: that of books and writing.

Heritage Sites as Literary Settings

One of the festival's signatures is the use of remarkable heritage sites as settings for its events. The gardens of the abbey of Saint-Georges de Boscherville, the theater of the Château d'Eu, the Historial Jeanne d'Arc, the Saint-Louis chapel, the Théâtre de la Ville de Rouen, the bookstore L'Armitière, and numerous media libraries and performance venues in the department host readings, encounters, performances, and shows.

This presence in exceptional locations gives the events a unique dimension, where the architecture and history of the places resonate with the texts and voices of the invited artists.

A Demanding and Accessible Program

Each edition of Terres de Paroles offers a rich and diverse program, blending major names in contemporary literature with emerging authors and stage artists. Musical readings, literary performances, author encounters, writing workshops, performances, and exhibitions make up a program open to all audiences, from the youngest to passionate readers.

Each year, the festival awards the Prix Premières Paroles, recognizing a debut novel, as well as the Prix Premières Paroles des collégiens, involving students from the department in a year-long reading and literary discovery program.

A Festival Rooted in the Territory

Beyond the festival week in May, Terres de Paroles conducts cultural activities throughout the year, in partnership with media libraries, schools, and cultural institutions in Seine-Maritime. These outreach and awareness activities for reading contribute to the cultural animation of the department and the democratization of access to literature.