2023 Rare Books Fair

The Jan Michalski Foundation for Writing and Literature was created in Montricher, at 
the foot of the Swiss Jura, by Vera Michalski-Hoffmann in memory of her husband, in order to promote literary creation, combat the erosion of reading and give people the opportunity to read, see and hear all forms of written words, in a place open to the world. These various missions are reflected in the provision of a vast multilingual library, the awarding of an annual prize for international literature, the granting of financial support for literary projects, the hosting of writers-in-residence, as well as in the programming of cultural events and temporary exhibitions, exploring the book from a variety of angles, from the history of movements and genres to the work of artists combining words and images, via writing universes, as in the case of the exhibition Colette. Écrire, pouvoir écrire
As a novelist, mime artist, actress, journalist, screenwriter, advertising executive and occasional beauty product merchant, Colette (Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye, 1873 - Paris, 1954) defies classification. Born in a family with no means, she entered the world of literature unintentionally, and made change a rule of life, almost a moral. Her unconditional freedom, her innovative approach to writing, imposing new themes, making women subjects in their own right, reconciling literature with nature, have inspired generations of readers and made her a contemporary icon.
But how does one become Colette ? To ask this question is to return to the source of a vocation that refused to speak its name, to recall the family, social and personal obstacles that had to be overcome, and all the conquests that Colette was able to make, as a pioneer, in half a century of creation. For Colette, writing was the place and instrument of her emancipation. 
From the Claudine series to Le Fanal bleu, Colette reenchanted literature by inventing a "new alphabet", by imagining heroines who faced solitude, exclusion, differences or age, with equal courage, by questioning the stereotypes imposed by the society of her time, by exploring reality in its most banal dimensions, exposing and bringing to light what the human eye had not touched before her.
To mark the 150th anniversary of Colette's birth, the Jan Michalski Foundation presents an exhibition of nearly 250 documents - first editions, photographs, letters, manuscripts, objects - rarely or never shown to the public. Now on show at the Grand Palais Ephemere in Paris, after having been presented in Switzerland, this original journey bears witness to the thousand eclosions of a writer at work, imposing, with the force of her pen, a name that has become an emblem.

Guest curator : Frédéric Maget 
Jan Michalski Foundation for Writing and Literature​​​​​​​
www.fondation-janmichalski.com 

The Atelier d'Arts Appliqués du Vésinet - Centre des Arts du Livre will once again be showcasing the talent of its students and teachers, and offering visitors the chance to discover or rediscover the book trade professions : the art of bookbinding and book decoration, restoration of antique books and graphic arts, and gilding on leather.

It is an opportunity for visitors to meet the artisans who practise these crafts, and share their passion. The team on hand will explain the steps involved in their creation process, and answer any question. 

To make the experience even more immersive and interesting, a series of demonstrations will showcase the ancestral and contemporary techniques used and the unique know-how of these crafts. For the duration of the show, there will be daily animations by students, and a flagship demonstration each day by a teacher on a given paper-related subject.

This year's show will focus on paper, on the restoration of graphic documents, but also on binding techniques such as Bradel paper. Gilding will also be featured, with demonstrations on leather and paper. The painting restoration trainer will be inviting visitors to discover restoration techniques on different formats.

The most beautiful bindings from the Atelier d'Arts Appliqués du Vésinet's annual competition will also be showcased on the stand, whose theme this year is "Paper in all its states".

"Would you like me to tell you everything?
I had only one calling: music!"

En déjeunant avec Colette, Le Phare, February 3rd, 1933