8 February 2026

Newsletter of 8 February 2026

This newsletter was sent to SAMP members on 8 February 2026. Receiving our newsletters as soon as they are published is a benefit reserved for members whose subscriptions are up to date.

NEWSLETTER OF 8 FEBRUARY 2026

Ladies and Gentlemen, dear members,

I. Proustian news

Proustian editorial news is quite rich at the moment, with the following publications:

- Sur les traces de John Ruskin, a collective work edited by Yasue Kato and François Proulx (Honoré Champion)

- Proust en soutane, by Thierry Laget (éditions Fario)

- Sur la route de l'Impressionnisme : Les peintres et Proust en Normandie, by Soraya Le Corsu (éditions Connaissances et Savoirs)

- Le Théorème de Proust, une cryptanalyse de la Recherche, by Thierry Marchaisse (revised and expanded edition, Classiques Garnier)

Let us also note the publication, in English, on the The Literary Hub website, of an article by Max McGuinness on the influence that Proust exerted on certain Irish writers, on the occasion of the recent publication of the book The Irish Proust.

II. Journée des Aubépines 2026

Laure Murat, who was to give the lecture on Anna de Noailles at our journée des Aubépines, on 23 May, has informed us that she must return to her Californian university earlier than expected, and asks that we accept her apologies. Several serious options are currently being considered to replace her, still on the same theme. We will be able to tell you more shortly.

In addition, alongside our programme, Mme Marie Fourtané, a resident of Illiers-Combray, is organising the following events at her home, in the "Maison du Pont" (49 rue Saint-Hilaire):

- 23 May at 5.30pm: a dance performance by Clara Chastagnac

- 24 May at 3pm: a performance by Véronique Aubouy on Saint-Simon ("La cour la plus dangereuse du monde").

The details of this programme can be found via this link.

Finally, and most importantly, bookings for the lunch on 23 May, at the Madeleine d'Illiers, are now open:

https://www.helloasso.com/associations/societe-des-amis-de-marcel-proust/evenements/aubepines-2026

III. Visit to the Whistler exhibition at the Tate on 29 May

Places remain for the visit - organised by the association, on Friday 29 May - to what Tate Britain describes as "the largest exhibition on Whistler in 30 years".

The programme has been designed to allow a return train journey within the day.

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

IV. Calendar of Proustian events

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 ?

16, 17 and 23 March: Une soirée avec Proust, at the théâtre Marigny (readings from the correspondence and works by Julie Depardieu, Nicolas Maury, Hugo Becker and Thibault de Montalembert)

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

19 March, at the Maison des Associations in Biarritz, a lecture by Jean-Christophe Antoine, "La Madeleine sans Proust"

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"

Saturday 23 May: journée des aubépines at Illiers-Combray: a lecture 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 (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 12 April, 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

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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!

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Renewing your membership

Here are some useful links if you wish to renew your membership of our association for 2026:

renewal via the boutique on our website

renewal via HelloAsso