François de Saint-Chéron, a literature PhD and associate professor at the Sorbonne, brings decades of research on André Malraux and has edited and curated major Malraux publications and exhibitions. Drawing on unpublished testimonies and rare accounts, he examines the life and work of the author of La Condition humaine to reveal a nuanced portrait beyond glamour and controversy, focusing on literary, political and artistic dimensions of Malraux’s career.

In French.

Louis Arnaud, former French hostage detained for two years at Evin Prison, recounts his experience and the intellectual encounters that transformed him in The Inner Revolution (Éditions des Équateurs, 2026). He reflects on confinement, morality, identity and the philosophical guides—Seneca, Nietzsche, Lévinas and Rumi—that helped him attain inner freedom. This luminous testimony explores resilience, empathy and the human bonds formed under extreme conditions, offering insights for anyone facing hardship.

In French.

Jean‑François Colosimo, publisher and essayist, presents his book When China Wavers (Albin Michel, 2026). He explores how the myths shaping Western dreams of China are in fact the Chinese people’s nightmare, deciphers the positions of the United States, Russia, India, Japan and Europe toward China, and analyses the major realignment of the global landscape driven by ongoing wars and looming barbarities. The lecture offers critical geopolitical perspectives and historical insight.

In French.

Sir Antony Beevor, British historian of war and former British Army officer, discusses his book Rasputin and the Downfall of the Romanovs. Beevor examines how a barely literate peasant from Siberia could influence the fate of an empire, reflecting on Rasputin’s role in the collapse of the Romanov autocracy and the enduring power of myth. The lecture explores political fragility, personal influence on history, and the construction of historical narrative.

In English.

Marie Darrieussecq, who prefaced the new French edition and author of Être ici est une splendeur, Vie de Paula M. Becker, joins Alexandre Pateau, the translator of the correspondence, for a focused conversation on the letters exchanged between Rainer Maria Rilke and Paula Modersohn‑Becker (1900–1907). They examine the artistic dialogue revealed in the correspondence, themes of creativity, mutual influence and biographical insight. The session is moderated by Pascal Schouwey.

In French.