Founded in 1818, the Société de Lecture (SDL) is a cultural institution nestled in Geneva’s Old Town. Housed in an 18th-century building, the SDL serves as a hub for relaxed intellectual exchange. Functioning as a library with an extensive book collection, the Société de Lecture also hosts diverse cultural events, including a full rich program of literary conferences, debates, workshops, and even yoga classes. Notably, it offers a diverse program for children.
Alain Mabanckou, novelist and professor of literature at UCLA, is known for his vibrant, lyrical French and award-winning fiction, including the Renaudot-winning Mémoires de porc-épic and internationally translated titles. In conversation with journalist Pascal Schouwey, Mabanckou discusses themes of exile, identity and language, and reads from his latest novel Ramsès de Paris, exploring its humour, irony and storytelling strategies that reinvent diasporic narratives.
In French.
Join storyteller Caroline Langendorf for a lively session of imaginative tales that make children tremble a little and laugh a lot. With theatrical energy and vivid voices, she brings ogres, gentle wolves, fearless samurai, witches and mischievous little reds to life. Through playful stories like CRIC and CRAC, youngsters will follow a stubborn girl in pink trainers, meet a band of squirrels and face snowy storms, discovering courage and plenty of giggles along the way.
In French. Kids ages 5 and up.
Didier Kahn, research director at CNRS, is a historian of science specializing in relations between literature, science and religion in alchemical Europe. He holds a doctorate from Université Paris IV and is the author of Alchimie et paracelsisme en France à la fin de la Renaissance. Kahn examines Paracelsus beyond the legend: a Swiss-born physician, theologian and alchemist who challenged medical authority, gathered herbal and popular medical knowledge across Europe, and profoundly reshaped approaches to medicine and practice.
In French.
Casilda Regueiro conjures stories from the mists of oral tradition like a Galician meiga. Trained in song, dance and theatre, she brings tales to life through voice, movement and presence, drawing young listeners into worlds where anything is possible. Hear wonderful narratives from Greek and Egyptian myth — Achilles and the Trojan War, Dionysos the twice‑born, Demeter and Persephone, the story of Isis and Osiris — and along the way encounter a pirate, a mermaid and maybe even a mummy.
In French. Kids ages 8 and up.
Brigitte Rosset, Geneva-born actress, comédienne and columnist, has performed across the francophone world for more than thirty years. A mother of three, she moves between solo shows, ensembles and dramatic repertoire, and has received major Swiss honours including the Prix SSA de l’humour (2025) and the Prix suisse de la scène (2015). In conversation with Céline Argento, Rosset discusses her career, creative process and her new book Merci, examining memory, family relationships and the healing — or not — power of humour.
In French.
Create and decorate sweet Easter treats in this hands-on workshop. Children will colour pre-baked cookies with edible markers, ice them with white royal icing and personalise a gift box using markers and stickers. The session blends creativity and fine-motor practice as kids decorate, package and prepare a tasty present for their family. A snack is included. Adult supervision required.
In French. Kids ages 5 and up.
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