The 2025 Book Festival began this Friday at the Jardin Albert 1er. The 29th edition is themed around freedom, nature, and intergenerational dialogue.
Under the trees of the Jardin Albert 1er, the stage is set up under a tent: microphones, speeches, raised voices… and a police siren. Allain Bougrain Dubourg reacts and smiles: “There’s an alert, we have to go!” The honorary president of the Festival this year, a passionate advocate for animal rights, sets the tone.
Nice, capital of words and commitments
For this 29th edition, the Book Festival opens under the powerful theme of protecting men, women, children, and nature. This is a logical follow-up to “the year of courage” celebrated in 2024. “It takes courage to act,” insists Christian Estrosi, who announces a marine protected area by the end of 2025, from Cap de Nice to the mouth of the Var, near the international airport. And in ten days, Nice will host the Ocean Summit. “I did not hesitate to say yes,” Christian Estrosi shares, “it was for the people of Nice.”
Literary prizes for young and old
To the applause, the Nice Baie des Anges 2025 prize is awarded to Andreï Makine of the French Academy, for “Prisonnier du rêve écarlate”. A choice seen as obvious: “this book spans generations,” notes Franz-Olivier Giesbert, the festival’s artistic director and jury president. Makine sees this award as a tribute to all the Russian exiles welcomed in Nice after the revolution and civil war in Russia. He even echoes Pope Leo XIV’s words, highlighting the necessity to “rebuild bridges”.
Moreover, the festival does not forget the younger ones. The The Nice Students’ Book prize is awarded to Florence Hinckel, for “Chun, the Panda Babysitter”. “Being chosen by the students is one of the best awards possible,” she states, moved.
Reading as a political weapon
In these times of social tension, the festival stands as a counter-model, around “a strong man” like Boualem Sansal, honorary president of last year’s Festival, whom Nice openly supports; Boualem Sansal’s portrait is displayed on the town hall facade. At the Festival, literature is not just a backdrop: it is a commitment. And every word spoken from Jardin Albert 1er seems to take flight with the ambition to awaken consciousness.
