Salon du livre
Join us for a moment of presentations with authors and literary personalities! Hear from authors about their recent publications, themes pertinent to the Francophone and literary world, and engage in audience Q&As.
Presenting Authors & Literary Organizations:
9:30 am - Sandra Smith
Inseparable
Sandra Smith was born and raised in New York City. She spent one year studying at the Sorbonne and fell in love with Paris. Immediately after finishing her B.A., she pursued a Master’s Degree at New York University, in conjunction with the Sorbonne, and so lived in Paris for another year. She then moved to England, where she taught 20th Century French Literature, Modern French Drama and Translation at Cambridge University.
She is the translator of books by Irène Némirovsky, Albert Camus, Guy de Maupassant, amongst others, and has won several translation prizes. She currently teaches for NYU.
Smith recently translated Inseparable, a never-before-published novel by the iconic Simone de Beauvoir about her intense girlhood friendship with ‘Zaza’ Lacoin. Inseparable offers fresh insight into the groundbreaking feminist’s own coming-of-age, her transformative, tragic friendship with Zaza, and how her youthful relationships shaped her philosophy. Smith’s vibrant translation will long be cherished by Beauvoir devotees and first-time readers alike. Don’t miss the opportunity to meet the translator of this captivating story!
9:30 am - Liz Heinecke - Activity for kids 7+!
Réalise les expériences des grands chimistes
Liz Heinecke has always danced between art and science. An art major in college, she utilized her master’s degree in bacteriology and a decade as a lab researcher to chronicle her science exploration alongside her three children on KitchenPantryScientist.com. The website exploded in popularity, turning Liz into a beloved author and the Midwest’s premier science educator.
Besides producing science videos, Liz contributes regularly to a number of TV lifestyle programs, including WCCO (CBS) and Twin Cities Live (ABC). She frequently makes appearances at library programs, Scout meetings and at STEM, STEAM and tech festivals. Liz Heinecke lives in Minneapolis.
During our Salon du Livre, Liz will share some activities for kids from her book Réalise les expériences des Grands chimistes. This book presents 25 portraits of renowned chemists, from Antiquity to the present day. Each chapter of the book tells the story of an exceptional chemist, details their research, their discoveries and what they have brought to the world. An educational experience is associated with each of these portraits and kids will have the chance to experience some of them!
10:30 am - Tangi Colombel
La Saint Tous Là
Tangi Colombel is a native of France. He is an actor and singer who appeared in various plays and musicals like "Jacques Brel is Alive" and "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" at Palm Beach Dramaworks (FL). Tangi Colombel published his first book, an autobiography in French entitled La Saint Tous Là. The novel is available on Amazon since April 1st 2022.
La Saint Tous Là est un récit touchant, pétri d’humanité. C’est parfois triste quand la vie ne fait pas de cadeaux. C’est souvent drôle quand les enfants, joueurs impénitents, tentent de la déchiffrer de leur regard tout neuf. Depuis les traditions bretonnes des villages d’Armorique aux croyances innombrables – spiritisme, loups-garous… – jusqu’aux rêves de star de la lointaine Amérique, Tangi se trace son chemin…
Learn more about the book on Tangi’s website HERE.
11:30 am - Liz Heinecke
Radiant: The Dancer, The Scientist, and a Friendship Forged in Light
Liz Heinecke will also present her book Radiant, The Dancer, The Scientist, and a Friendship Forged in Light. Radiant is the true story of Marie Curie and Loie Fuller, two revolutionary women drawn together at the dawn of a new era by a singular discovery, and the lifelong friendship that grew out of their shared passion for enlightenment. Part hidden history, part love letter to creative innovation, this is the "imaginative and immersive" (The Star Tribune) true story of an unlikely friendship brought together by an illuminating discovery in Paris.
11:30 am - Jane Simon- Story time for kids!
Webby Capische, the Understanding Spider and Stella's Birthday
Jane Simon has been a member of our Alliance Française since 1976 and was President of the Board of Directors from 2001 to 2005. Jane was a French and Spanish teacher for several years in the Twin Cities. In 2013, she wrote two books for her granddaughters aged 6 and 3, Webby Capische, the Understanding Spider and Stella's Birthday. Bring your kids to listen to these entertaining stories!
A lonely young girl finds a spider in her windowsill, and creates a relationship with it. Leaning from the insect that grows through the changing seasons allows her to understand the lives of little creatures.
Stella will soon be three years old, and she knows exactly what she wants to do for her birthday.
12:30 pm - Mark Labine
They spoke French
Mark Labine is the descendant of early explorers and fur traders who were in the midwest in the 17th century. His ancestors were among the first pioneers who settled in Minnesota. He is a member of the French-American Heritage Foundation and has written books on his family genealogy and French heritage in Minnesota. He is retired after spending 42 years in the legal field as an attorney, mediator and judicial officer.
Mark Labine will give an overview of the book They Spoke French which is a book on French Heritage in Minnesota, including information on early French explorers and fur traders, early French-speaking pioneers, Metis, French heritage sites, French place names and other information about Minnesota’s French accent. This book was sponsored and self-published by the French-American Heritage Foundation. Curious about French influences in Minnesota? Don’t miss this presentation!
1:15 pm - Les Amis de la bibliothèque
Les Amis de la Bibliothèque is a group dedicated to supporting and enhancing the AFMSP Library’s diverse resources, literary programs, and annual cultural events. This group has been created to honor the memory of Hélène Nahas Peters (1919-2020) who devoted thirty years of leadership and service to the AFMSP Library, helping grow the collection to more than 5,000 books.
Helen Peter’s vision and dedication to the library have helped enrich the Twin Cities community with a deeper knowledge and appreciation of the French and francophone language and culture.
Everyone is welcome to join the group or contribute!
As a Friend, you are part of a valued community, helping to advance and expand French and francophone cultural literacy, improve understanding, and enrich lives.
At the end of our Salon du livre, we will present Les Amis de la Bibliothèque and have some refreshments all together!
Books for Africa
The organization Books For Africa will be with us for our Salon du Livre! Books for Africa collects, sorts and ships books and related materials to every country in Africa in collaboration with partners worldwide. It is the largest shipper of donated text and library books to the African continent, shipping over 55 million books to all 55 countries on the African continent since 1988. Last year alone, Books For Africa shipped 3.2 million books, valued at over $26.7 million, and 355 computers and e-readers containing over 1,065,000 digital books, to 27 African countries. More than $2.3 million was raised last year to ship these books to the students of Africa. Learn more about our French Books Initiative, as well as other special initiatives (Girls Empowerment, Law & Democracy, etc.) at www.booksforafrica.org.
Do you have any books in French you would like to donate to Books for Africa? Feel free to bring them to the event and put them in their donation box!