Leaving For Book 2026: Our Little And Big Heroes In Celebration
From June 17 to July 19, 2026, the major youth book event returns with the theme "Our Little and Big Heroes" — signed posters, activities, and a Livrodrome transformed into a literary amusement park.
A festival that is gaining momentum.
Partir en Livre is celebrating its 12th edition and will take place this summer: from June 17 to July 19, 2026, readings, workshops, and meetings will be aimed at children, teenagers, and their parents. The festival now reaches over 300,000 participants across the entire metropolitan and overseas territory, proving that the event has become a staple of summer traditions.
Numbers that speak (without making it a study)
There is no shortage of events: in 2025, the event recorded more than 6,400 meetings held in over 2,000 municipalities. For 2026, the National Book Centre is financially supporting 162 organizers to enable the attendance of authors and the hosting of high-quality highlights. In short, it's a dense network that reaches out to the public where they are.
The theme: "Our little and big heroes"
Reading is often about recognizing oneself or projecting oneself. This theme questions the power of the stories and characters that accompany youth: identification, dreams, resistance — and sometimes the desire to become, in some way, the hero of one's own story. The chosen angle invites us to explore the figures that shape the imagination of young readers.
Lou on display: Julien Neel at the helm
To illustrate this edition, the poster is signed by comic book author Julien Neel and features his heroine Lou. Lou is accompanied by a host of small and large heroes, in a visual proposal that extends the dialogue between comics and youth. Julien Neel, who launched the series Lou ! in 2004 and has since developed several collections around this character, sees his universe invited to set the tone for the summer.
The Livrodrome: a literary amusement park
The Livrodrome returns for its 7th edition, with a renewed format: 50 literary, playful, and multidisciplinary attractions are offered to young audiences. For three weeks, nearly 70 authors, illustrators, and book artisans along with more than 40 artistic and associative actors come together to instill a love for reading, writing, and books among teenagers. The Livrodrome will take place from June 17 to July 3 in six cities, featuring events that invite participants to (re)discover the activities on-site.
Sign up, organize, prepare
Registrations to announce an event as part of the festival have been open since March 30, 2026. Organizers can submit a request for a Chèque Lire® and order communication materials (posters, bookmarks) to be visible during the period. Resources are also available: reading recommendations, a digital communication kit, a customizable poster, and a thematic bibliography soon to be designed by Anne-Flore Hervé.
Where and how is the festival experienced?
Partir en Livre engages with young people in their living spaces during the summer: libraries, pop-up bookstores, beaches, neighborhoods... the idea is to increase access points to books, so that reading becomes a natural part of daily life as well as vacation. The formats include workshops, games, performances, and author meetings — creating enjoyable and stimulating moments for the whole family.
Note Well: some useful terms
Poster — a visual designed to identify and promote the event, often signed by an artist.
Livrodrome — a name given to a concept imagined as a literary amusement park, with installations and activities centered around books.
Thematic bibliography — an organized selection of works around a subject, here intended to accompany the theme of publishing.
To conclude (and make a decision)
If you love the idea of a summer filled with reading and discovery, Partir en Livre offers a season rich in proposals, designed for young readers and their companions. Between the poster created by Julien Neel, the Livrodrome, and the multitude of local events, there are plenty of moments to enjoy as a family. To announce an event or find resources, visit the official website and explore the available tools.
