23 January 2026

Newsletter of 23 January 2026

This newsletter was sent to SAMP members on 23 January 2026. Receiving our newsletters as soon as they are published is a benefit reserved for members whose subscriptions are up to date.

NEWSLETTER OF 23 JANUARY 2026

Ladies and Gentlemen, dear members,

I. Group visit to the Whistler exhibition, Tate Britain, Friday 29 May

As announced in the previous letter, a group visit to the Whistler exhibition, presented by the London museum as "the first major European exhibition of Whistler's work in 30 years", is being offered to members on Friday 29 May (the Tate does not host groups at weekends).

This visit will follow the schedule below:

10.30am – Arrival at Tate Britain – welcome by the museum's Tours and Experiences team

11.00am – Welcome address. Tea and coffee served on arrival.

11.30am – A one-hour introductory lecture, in English, presenting the themes of the exhibition and an analysis of the major works, at the Clore Auditorium.

12.30pm – A buffet served exclusively for our group.

From 1.30pm – Entry into the exhibition, a free visit allowing everyone to discover the exhibition at their own pace throughout the afternoon.

Marcel Proust took an interest in James McNeill Whistler from a very young age, admiring his works as early as 1891 and even placing a reproduction of one of his paintings in his bedroom, and he drew on Whistler as an important model for the painter Elstir in À la recherche du temps perdu, incorporating his approach to the harmony of colours and forms into his own literary writing.

To find out more about the relationship between the writer and Whistler, one may refer to this interview with Emily Eells (2024).

The cost of this event, which includes the lecture, lunch and entry to the exhibition, is 80 euros (£70). The association does not arrange transport for members.

It is possible to register now, on the HelloAsso website (preferably) or by writing to the association (contact@amisdeproust.fr)

https://www.helloasso.com/associations/societe-des-amis-de-marcel-proust/evenements/journee-whistler-a-la-tate-gallery-29-mai

In addition, as part of the "rencontres des amis de Marcel Proust", Emily Eells will give a lecture at the hôtel Swann on Proust and Whistler, on Thursday 21 May.

II. Proustian news

In Proustian news, let us note this video of an interview between Antoine Compagnon and a journalist from the Figaro, on the relationship between Proust and the newspaper:

III. Calendar of Proustian events

29 January and 5 February, at the Bibliothèque de Sceaux (Hauts-de-Seine): a lecture by Laurence Grenier, Proust en roman photo

28 January, at 6.30pm, at the Café de la Mairie, Place Saint-Sulpice (Paris VIe), a book signing for L'affaire Stermaria, La Bretagne à Balbec, by Brigitte Albert-Jacouty and Marianne Brody-Baudin (éditions du Palio)

1 February, at 3pm, salle Cortot (Paris XVII): a concert around Marcel Proust and the Sonate de Vinteuil

2 February, at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, as part of the seminar « Papiers. Livres. Archives. Bibliothèques », a lecture by Cécile Leblanc: « Ma mémoire toute remplie d'elle ». La carrière de Sarah Bernhardt dans les avant-textes de Proust et les écrits de Hahn, choses vues, choses jugées.

5 February, at 3pm, at the musée Henner, a lecture by Jean-Christophe Antoine, La Madeleine sans Proust. Un mariage mondain à la Belle Époque. Free admission

13 February, 13 March, 10 April, 22 May, 19 June, by videoconference, from 3.30pm to 5.30pm, a seminar on editing Proust's correspondence, organised by Françoise Leriche and open to all (link for the videoconference)

16 March, at the École normale supérieure, as part of the seminar « Papiers. Livres. Archives. Bibliothèques », a lecture by Antoine Compagnon: Proust exposé ?

18 March, at the hôtel Swann, as part of the "rencontres des amis de Proust": a presentation of the Musée Bonnat-Helleu, which has just reopened in Bayonne, by its director, Barthélémy Etchegoyen Glama

24 March, at the hôtel Swann, once again as part of the "rencontres des amis de Proust": a presentation by Philippe Blay and members of the quatuor Tchalik of a new recording of works by Reynaldo Hahn (including the Trio composed in part at Beg-Meil during his stay with Proust, in 1895)

31 March, at 6.30pm, at the mairie of the 11th arrondissement of Paris, a lecture by Jean-Yves Tadié, "Les Villes thermales dans la Littérature"

Thursday 21 May, at the hôtel Swann: a lecture by Emily Eells on Whistler and Proust (see above)

Saturday 23 May: journée des aubépines at Illiers-Combray: a lecture by Laure Murat on Anna de Noailles, a convivial lunch at the restaurant, a piano recital by Philippe Cassard, readings from Proust's correspondence with Anna de Noailles by Ivan Morane. Bookings for lunch will open shortly. We are also considering supplementing this programme with a sightseeing visit on Sunday 24.

Friday 29 May : lecture, lunch and visit to the exhibition on Whistler at Tate Britain (see above)

Saturday 20 June: a pianola demonstration and Proustian readings at the musée de la musique mécanique in Dollon (Sarthe) (an event proposed to the association by Jean-Paul Henriet; further information to follow)

28 and 29 September, in Barcelona, a conference on Marcel Proust et les langues minoritaires ou minorées, organised by ARIPIC and the société catalane d'amis de Marcel Proust.


Also:

Every Sunday until 26 January, at the théâtre Essaïon (Paris), the show Proust en clair, by Jacques Mougenot. The theatre is offering SAMP members a reduced rate of €15 (instead of €25). To do so, please book either by email at the following address: essaionreservations@gmail.com, or by telephone on 01 42 78 46 42, quoting the code MADELEINE.

Until 1 March 2026, at the Cité de la langue française (Villers-Cotterêts), an exhibition of manuscripts from the collections of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, including drafts by Marcel Proust.

From 21 May to 27 September, at Tate Britain (London), an exhibition on James McNeill Whistler (see above)

As usual, you will find further information in the previous letter (18 January), some of which is still relevant.

Yours faithfully,

Jérôme Bastianelli

*

Reminder: 8th edition of the pastiche competition

To celebrate the writer's taste for literary pastiche, the Société des Amis de Marcel Proust is launching the 8th edition of its Proustian pastiche competition.

As in previous years, the competition is open in two categories:

  • General category, open to all lovers of Proust;

  • Young category, reserved for participants under 25 years of age.

📅 Deadline for submission: 28 February 2026

You will find on our website all the information you need to take part. Good luck!