Salon du Livre Jeunesse Val de Lire

The Salon du Livre Jeunesse Val de Lire: over forty years serving youth literature

The Salon du Livre Jeunesse de Beaugency was born in 1985 at the initiative of enthusiasts of children's and adolescent literature, united within the association of the Salon du livre pour enfants et adolescents de Beaugency. In 2009, the association Val de Lire, a non-profit organization (loi 1901), took over with the motto "A current between the pages". Supported by two employees and numerous volunteers, it pursues an ambitious mission: to introduce children and adolescents to albums, to foster social and intergenerational interactions, and to integrate reading into cultural practices from the earliest age.

A festival rooted in its territory

The festival takes place annually at the Complexe Alain Jarsaillon — Salle des Fêtes des Hauts de Lutz in Beaugency, with exhibitions and events in several partner towns: Meung-sur-Loire, Saint-Laurent-Nouan, Ouzouer-le-Marché, and Mareau-aux-Prés. Organized in partnership with the Communauté de Communes des Terres du Val de Loire, the festival has a reach across the Loiret and Loir-et-Cher territories. The founding values of Val de Lire — living together, social diversity, and secularism — permeate each edition.

Three days of meetings and discoveries

Each edition of the festival offers a rich and varied program around a theme chosen by the Val de Lire team:

• Book signings and meetings: about twenty author-illustrators are present at booksellers' stands for signing sessions and exchanges with the public
• Exhibitions: about ten exhibitions spread across Beaugency and neighboring towns, highlighting the work of a featured artist
• Professional workshops: calligraphy, bookbinding, engraving, visual arts, and other book-related crafts, led by over twenty professional facilitators
• Live performances: professional companies from the region offer shows at the Théâtre Le Puits-Manu and at the complex
• Shared readings aloud: special moments of sharing between generations

A recognized professional event

The festival also hosts a professional day in partnership with the Centre de Recherche et d'Information sur la Littérature pour la Jeunesse (CRILJ) and the Ciclic network. About a hundred school meetings allow students from the region to interact directly with invited authors and illustrators.

A free and accessible festival

Admission to the Salon du Livre Jeunesse Val de Lire is completely free, in line with the association's mission to make youth literature accessible to all. The venue is accessible to people with reduced mobility. Each year, the festival attracts a loyal family audience and contributes to the cultural dynamism of Beaugency and the Loire Valley.