It was under a downpour that ultimately ended the 2013 edition of a Book Festival which, aside from the weather anecdote, was a complete success in a location that seemed to be made for the occasion. Both the authors and the numerous public were delighted with this weekend dedicated to all kinds of literature.
“It’s the ideal place,” “It feels like we’ve always held the festival here…” “I hope we’ll be here again next year…” The opinions, often in the form of compliments, were plentiful throughout the weekend from Place Pierre Gautier to Place du Palais de Justice, where the youth and comic book sections were located. It’s true that the “village” style setup fitted perfectly with this location on Cours Saleya, just steps from the big blue sea and the picturesque old town.
“We are regulars of the Book Festival and were saddened that this year it wasn’t held in the Albert 1st Gardens. But, placing it in Old Nice turned out to be a very good idea and we hope it will be there again next year,” said Hélène, a mother of three children, moving between the authors at Place Pierre Gautier and the illustrators at Place du Palais. This was the nearly unanimous opinion of visitors delighted with the installation of these ephemeral bookstores in the heart of Nice’s old town.
The same goes for the authors who largely appreciated this “book village” vibe with a high turnout on both Saturday and Sunday, when the stands were never empty. “It’s an excellent idea because Old Nice is a fitting place for this type of event. The proximity to the market, the typical alleys of the old town, and its many assets make this place an ideal choice,” stated Franck Viano, an author native to this old town, which is also the setting of his first novel.
The 2013 Book Festival is thus over, and it will only be a matter of days before we know whether it will be maintained in its current configuration or return to its initial location in the Albert 1st Garden, which will have become a green corridor…
Stay tuned!
