Société de lecture

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.

Grand-Rue 11,
1204 Genève

phone: +41 22 311 45 90

All Events at this Venue

Tuesday 18 November, 18:30

Giuliano da Empoli – L’heure des prédateurs

Lectures & Workshops

Société de lecture

After studying law in Rome and political science at Sciences Po Paris—where he now teaches—Italo-Swiss essayist Giuliano da Empoli served as Deputy Mayor for Culture in Florence and later as political advisor to Matteo Renzi.

Following The Engineers of Chaos (Les ingénieurs du chaos, JC Lattès, 2019), which explored how populists manipulate algorithms, and The Wizard of the Kremlin (Le mage du Kremlin, Gallimard, 2022)—winner of the Grand Prix du roman de l’Académie française, with over 700,000 copies sold and translations in thirty countries—he returns with The Hour of the Predators (L’heure des prédateurs, Gallimard, 2025).

This latest novel is a gripping and chilling dive into the inner workings of a ruthless, unprincipled, and utterly unrestrained political elite.

In French.

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Wednesday 19 November, 15:00

Le voyage enchanté

Kids

Société de lecture

The Compagnie Contes Joyeux is made up of Anne-Claude and François. They live in Lausanne and have been offering performances for twenty years that combine storytelling, songs, and music. Their repertoire is varied, cheerful, and full of bounce—bringing joy to both children and adults alike. Through word of mouth, they hope to spread joy and enthusiasm, because “when you love, you tell stories!”

Stories offer us extraordinary adventures and incredible journeys; they introduce us to talking animals, fairies, and elves, and transport us to dreamlike worlds. What a gift!

In French. Kids ages 5 and up.

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Thursday 20 November, 12:00

Kathia Marquis & Jacques Michel

Lectures & Workshops

Société de lecture

Join Kathia Marquis and Jacques Michel at the Société de Lecture for a delightful gathering organized by Théâtre de Carouge, in connection with their play Les Bijoux de la Castafiore. Enjoy a charming, gourmet-filled experience in the elegant salons with the season’s featured artists.

In French.

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Tuesday 25 November, 18:30

Philippe Sands – 38 Londres Street: On Impunity, Pinochet in England and a Nazi in Patagonia

Lectures & Workshops

Société de lecture

Philippe Sands is Professor of Law at University College London and a practicing barrister. As a renowned human rights lawyer, he has been involved in many important cases, including Pinochet, Congo, Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Iraq, Guantanamo and the Yazidis. Themes of memory and responsibility are central in all his books. He advocates that ecocide should be brought before the International Criminal Court. His multi-award winning books include East West Street (Retour à Lemberg, Albin Michel, 2021) and The Last Colony (La dernière colonie, Albin Michel, 2023).

38 Londres Street (38 rue de Londres, Albin Michel, 2025) gathers the threads that link the former Chilean dictator Pinochet to a Nazi war criminal.

In English.

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Tuesday 2 December, 12:00

Jacqueline Burckhardt – La mia commedia dell’arte

Lectures & Workshops

Société de lecture

An archaeologist, restorer, art historian, curator, author, and publisher, Jacqueline Burckhardt embodies a deep, lifelong passion for artistic creation. Co-founder of the influential art journal Parkett, she was awarded the Meret Oppenheim Prize in 2024 in recognition of her invaluable contribution to the art scene in Switzerland and beyond.

Her rich, project-filled life is chronicled in La mia commedia dell’arte (Patrick Frey, 2024), an intimate and captivating text shaped as a series of dialogues with Juri Steiner, director of the MCBA (Musée cantonal des Beaux-Arts).

Through these conversations, readers discover the many facets of a woman driven by a refined aesthetic sensibility, a profound connection to art in all its forms, and above all, an unbounded curiosity about creativity’s power to break down barriers and reimagine the world.

In French.

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Thursday 4 December, 12:00

Joseph Incardona – Le chant des sirènes

Lectures & Workshops

Société de lecture

Writer, screenwriter, and director, Joseph Incardona draws inspiration from noir fiction, North American literature, and a taste for offbeat humor. Published by Éditions Finitude, he has authored around fifteen novels, including Chaleur—set during a sauna world championship in Finland (winner of the Prix du Polar romand 2017)—and La soustraction des possibles, a dive into Geneva’s financial world of the 1980s (winner of the Prix Relay and Prix RTS 2020).

After Les corps solides (2022), where a mother and son chase a jackpot on a game show, and Stella et l’Amérique (2024), the tale of a miracle-working prostitute pursued by the Vatican, Incardona returns with Le monde est fatigué (2025).

In this novel, he imagines the fate of a professional mermaid who performs in the world’s largest aquariums. Revisiting the myth, he paints a poignant portrait of a humanity on the verge of losing its soul.

In French.

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Société de lecture

Société de lecture

phone: +41 22 311 45 90