An audiovisual parcours immerses visitors in Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s life and work, arguing that his writings continue to provoke contemporary debate. Through seven thematic niches, the presentation examines Rousseau’s paradoxes — from individual freedom to social critique — and invites reflection on how his ideas anticipate modern challenges. The session explores tensions in his thought and encourages critical questioning of present assumptions, revealing why Rousseau remains relevant for current political and cultural discussions.

In English at 11:30 am
In French at 2 pm

Douglas Kennedy, born in New York in 1955, is an acclaimed novelist who lives between the United States, Berlin and France. His works include L’homme qui voulait vivre sa vie and La Symphonie du hasard.

He presents the long-awaited sequel to the novel that made him famous, a tense story set in the vast Montana landscapes. The narrative examines identity, paternal abandonment and the resurfacing of secrets as a father confronts the consequences of choices made thirty years earlier.

In French.

Alejandro Vaccaro, collector and biographer of Jorge Luis Borges, appears with Alejandro Roemmers (poet and entrepreneur) and Roberto Alifano (author, poet and essayist) to present their research and collections.

The roundtable examines how collecting practices shape narratives around Borges, exploring notable objects, metonymic extensions of the writer, and the philosophical stakes of preserving literary heritage. Vaccaro will show selected items from his private collection and speakers reflect on memory, curation and literary legacy.

In Spanish.

Alberto Manguel, Argentine-Canadian writer, essayist and former director of the National Library of Argentina, is known for A History of Reading and Reader of Borges; his work examines reading, libraries and literary imagination.

He will discuss Borges’s biographical dimension and its links to his poetics, examining how reading shaped Borges’s creativity—from childhood encounters in his father’s library to his later practice of reading through others. The lecture explores themes of memory, translation, textual transformation and the reader’s role.

In French.

Annick Louis, a Franco-Argentine academic, and Félix Terrones, professor at the Institute of Hispanic Language and Literature (Universität Bern), bring scholarly expertise in Hispanic studies and literary criticism.

This lecture examines the elements of Borges’s writing that fascinate scholars and engage general readers, investigating his narrative strategies, themes of identity and labyrinthine structure, and the legacy he left for subsequent authors and literary movements.

In French.