Montpellier

A literary comet, from juvenile detention to bestseller success. Born in Algiers in 1937 and passed away in 1967 in Montpellier, Albertine Sarrazin experienced a rebellious and fugitive childhood. A botched robbery landed her in prison for eight years. It was within the walls that she led her most regular life, studied, married, and became a writer. Literature provided her escape. She published her first successful novel, "L’Astragale," in 1965—a beautiful love story among criminals, experienced through hideouts, relapses, and imprisonments. The following year saw two more sensitive and popular narratives ("La Cavale" and "La Traversière"), which sold 100,000 copies each, cementing the author’s deserved national fame. A modest and insightful voice, a clear-eyed perspective, and, above all, a distinctive style. Her writing was praised by Patty Smith in a 2014 text: "My Albertine, how I adored her! Her luminous eyes guided me through the darkness of my youth. She was my guide during nights of a hundred sleeps."
(based on Le Monde and The New Statesman)

Albertine Sarazin ©DR

In 40 years, Lee Printemps des Comédiens has become one of the two most important theater festivals in France. Created by Jean-Claude Carrière and directed by Jean Varela since 2011, the event welcomes nearly 45 shows each year in June, attracting 40,000 spectators. Set in the magnificent Domaine d’O, with three permanent stages including one outdoors (under the starry skies of Languedoc), the festival hosts major European productions as well as directors from Africa, Asia, and Central America. Emerging artists and leading theater schools also present their productions there. Far from elitist stereotypes, the festival also engages with audiences distanced from culture, notably through initiatives like "Printemps des collégiens," where students from each class take turns as actors and spectators. The goal is to awaken artistic curiosity and aesthetic sensitivity. In essence, it’s citizen theater.

Luna Collectif/©Sabin Paul Croce/Flickr

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