American Library in Paris

(Hybrid) Amor Towles on The Lincoln Highway
2022-09-08 19:30 - 20:30 (Europe/Paris) | The American Library in Paris
Amor Towles’s latest book, The Lincoln Highway, is populated by a vivacious ensemble of misfits cast against the American landscape. When troubled teenager Emmett and his brother Billy make plans to leave their Nebraska farm behind for California, the road ahead quickly presents twists and deviations. Unexpected companions, petty crime, and a youthful spirit of adventure combine to transform a simple road trip into a high-stakes railway pursuit across the country. Along the way, readers meet an exciting cast of complex characters that bring this charming novel to life. Exploring themes of American myth, storytelling, and history, Towles’ Lincoln Highway enlightens and entertains.
Copies of the French translation of The Lincoln Highway will be available for purchase at this event thanks to the generous participation of Librairie Tome 7. This event was organized in collaboration with Editions Fayard.
About the speaker:
Amor Towles is the author of three bestselling novels: Rules of Civility (2011), A Gentleman in Moscow (2016), and The Lincoln Highway (2021). Towles’s works have been translated into over thirty languages. His essays and short stories have been published in the Paris Review, British Vogue, Audible Originals, and Granta.
Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Towles will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
This event requires advance registration.
Evenings with an Author are free and open to the public (with a 10€ suggested donation)
thanks to the generous support of Gregory Annenberg Weingarten of GRoW @ Annenberg.

LEGO Creations (ages 6–12)
2022-09-03 11:00 - 12:00 | The American Library in Paris
Join the Children’s and Teens’ Services team for construction games and a friendly building competition. We’ll have all the supplies you need to create your own original creations.

Children between the ages 6–12 may participate in Library programs on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library.

Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Written in Ink: a Writing Workshop with Jion Sheibani (ages 12–18)
2022-08-27 13:00 - 15:00 | The American Library in Paris
About Jion Sheibani: Jion is the author and illustrator of the young adult novel The Silver Chain, as well as the picture book Lily & The Polar Bears and The Worries young fiction series. She grew up in Brighton and now lives in Paris with her family. She’s a self-taught illustrator and studied English literature at Oxford University. When she moved to Paris, she taught English to students at Sciences Po and ENSAE universities before opening her own language school for children, Anglofun. Now, she mainly draws and writes in her garden studio. As well as picture books and young fiction, she also writes and illustrates for older readers. Find out more about Jion and her work here. Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Please note: masks are strongly encouraged for all Library visitors ages 6 and up, staff, and volunteers. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Friendship Bracelets (all ages)
2022-08-13 11:00 - 12:00
Friendship Bracelets
all ages

Learn how to braid a friendship bracelet, or two (for ages 6+) or make a beaded bracelet for someone special.

Children ages 5 and under must be accompanied by a chaperone for the duration of this workshop. Children between the ages of 6–12 may participate in the program on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library.

Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Children in the Library Policy

Register here

We are an independent, nonprofit organization celebrating our 101st year of service. With your continued support, we are able to provide over 200 programs each year for ages 0–18. If you would like to support the Library, you can make a donation to help sustain this vital institution, and programs such as this one.

Donate to the Library

Sundae Saturday: Farewell, Kirsty (ages 12–18)
2022-08-06 14:00 - 15:30
Sundae Saturday: Farewell, Kirsty

For ages 12–18

Join us for ice-cream sundaes and a farewell party for Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian Kirsty McCulloch Reid.
Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian and YAFF Coordinator Kirsty McCulloch Reid will be leaving the American Library in Paris at the end of the summer to relocate back to Scotland. Kirsty’s contributions since she first began at the Library in 2015 are innumerable. She spearheaded the effort to grow YAFF to the incredible festival it has become, and she set a very high bar for accessibility in our catalog, along with assisting voracious readers find great books every day she comes to work. Kirsty will remain a part of the library community, and will continue as YAFF Coordinator on a volunteer basis for 2023. Two farewell celebrations will be hosted for Library members: one on Saturday 6 August at 11h00 for children ages 0–12 and their families, and other on Saturday 6 August at 14h00 for teens.

Important information: Advance registration is required to attend this event. Participation in teen events is free for Library members and 10 euros per person for non-members. Masks are strongly encouraged for all Library visitors ages 6 and up, staff, and volunteers. Library visitors are expected to familiarize themselves with the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.
We thank you for your continued support and for being a part of the Library community!
Register here

Donate to the Library

Farewell, Kirsty (all ages)
2022-08-06 11:00 - 12:00
Farewell, Kirsty

all ages

Join us for a Scotland and unicorn-themed farewell party for Librarian Kirsty McCulloch Reid
Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian and YAFF Coordinator Kirsty McCulloch Reid will be leaving the American Library in Paris at the end of the summer to relocate back to Scotland. Kirsty’s contributions since she first began at the Library in 2015 are innumerable. She spearheaded the effort to grow YAFF to the incredible festival it has become, and she set a very high bar for accessibility in our catalog, along with assisting voracious readers find great books every day she comes to work. Kirsty will remain a part of the library community, and will continue as YAFF Coordinator on a volunteer basis for 2023. Two farewell celebrations will be hosted for Library members: one on Saturday 6 August at 11h00 for children ages 0–12 and their families, and other on Saturday 6 August at 14h00 for teens.

Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Children in the Library Policy

Register here

We are an independent, nonprofit organization celebrating our 101st year of service. With your continued support, we are able to provide over 200 programs each year for ages 0–18. If you would like to support the Library, you can make a donation to help sustain this vital institution, and programs such as this one.

Donate to the Library

Story Hour: Daring and Dastardly Dragons (ages 3-5)
2022-07-27 14:30 - 15:30
Story Hour:
Daring and Dastardly Dragons

For ages 3–5
3–5 year-olds and their grown-ups are invited to join us for an interactive Story Hour in a small group! This program lasts an hour, and features songs, stories, and hand rhymes in English.
For this Story Hour, we’ll read books all about dragons, including Zog by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler.
This Story Hour will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Librarian Kirsty, with the help of Library volunteer Mary Wessels. They will read books and lead you and your little one in songs and hand-rhymes during a live, interactive session. This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Plan to join in, sing along, and move around, and model movement and listening for your little one. We ask that caregivers put away their phones and other devices for the duration of this program.

Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Register here

Children in the Library Policy

We are an independent, nonprofit organization celebrating our 101st year of service. With your continued support, we are able to provide over 200 programs each year for ages 0–18. If you would like to support the Library, you can make a donation to help sustain this vital institution, and programs such as this one.

Donate to the Library

Story Hour: Animals of the Safari (Ages 3-5)
2022-07-20 14:30 - 15:30
Story Hour:
Animals of the Safari

For ages 3–5
3–5 year-olds and their grown-ups are invited to join us for an interactive Story Hour in a small group! This program lasts an hour, and features songs, stories, and hand rhymes in English.
For this Story Hour, we’ll read books about the animals you may see on a safari including elephants, lions, and rhinos and will read the book The Ugly Five by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler.
This Story Hour will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Librarian Kirsty, with the help of Library volunteer Mary Wessels. They will read books and lead you and your little one in songs and hand-rhymes during a live, interactive session. This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Plan to join in, sing along, and move around, and model movement and listening for your little one. We ask that caregivers put away their phones and other devices for the duration of this program.

Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Register here

Children in the Library Policy

We are an independent, nonprofit organization celebrating our 101st year of service. With your continued support, we are able to provide over 200 programs each year for ages 0–18. If you would like to support the Library, you can make a donation to help sustain this vital institution, and programs such as this one.

Donate to the Library

Brownies and Bananagrams (ages 12–18)
2022-07-16 14:00 - 15:00
Brownies and Bananagrams

For ages 12–18

Enjoy homemade brownies and a game of Banagrams during this Saturday afternoon event! There’s no need to be a pro at word games to enjoy this activity. If you’ve never played, Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian Kirsty will teach you the rules of the game, with the help of Library volunteers.

Important information: Advance registration is required to attend this event. Participation in teen events is free for Library members and 10 euros per person for non-members. Library visitors are expected to familiarize themselves with the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.
We thank you for your continued support and for being a part of the Library community!
Register here

Donate to the Library

(Hybrid) Lara Marlowe on Love and War
2022-07-13 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Join Evenings with an Author (in person and online*) to discuss
Love in a Time of War: My Years with Robert Fisk
with American author and journalist Lara Marlowe
Click here to RSVP
Join Lara Marlowe, Paris-based foreign correspondent for The Irish Times newspaper, for a conversation on the war in Ukraine and her memoir Love in a Time of War, My Years with Robert Fisk. Described by Noam Chomsky as “A gripping tale of savagery and courage, of history in the making, intertwined with rich personal reminiscences,” this account of her relationship with renowned British journalist Robert Fisk describes the intensity of love and the perils of journalism, set against geopolitical turbulence and violent war. Marlowe will be bringing her nearly 40 years of work in journalism to the library to discuss the writing of this book, the complicated experiences of war correspondents, and her perspective on the Ukraine war.
Click here to RSVP
About the speaker:
Lara Marlowe is an American journalist and author. Currently the Paris bureau chief for The Irish Times, she previously served as the paper’s US correspondent and worked in the Middle East for Time magazine for eight years. Marlowe has won four press awards for her journalism, including Features Writer of the Year in Ireland in 2021. Love in a Time of War is her third book and has been a best-seller in Ireland.
Registration required.
*The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Marlowe will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
Click here to RSVP
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Important on-site information regarding COVID-19: Masks remain strongly recommended, per the French Ministry of Health.

(Hybrid) Opening Doors in Architecture with Rahim Danto Barry
2022-07-06 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Join Evenings with an Author (in person and online*) to discuss
Portes d’Afrique
with architect and author Rahim Danto Barry
Click here to RSVP
Architect Rahim Danto Barry will be speaking about his career in France and his seminal work, Portes d’Afrique (1999). From the Centre Pompidou-Metz, to the Stade de France, to terminals of Charles de Gaulle, Barry has helped develop emblematic sites dedicated to sports, travel, and culture across France. He is an expert in movement, and this fascination with transit is expressed in his writing: Portes d’Afrique is both a rigorous study of doorways in African architecture, and a meditation upon heritage, culture, and identity. Considering the door as both a physical feature and a symbol of passage, Barry traverses an array of countries and regions in Africa in search of the functional, aesthetic, and spiritual as expressed in the doorway.
This conversation will be in French.
Click here to RSVP
About the speaker:
Rahim Danto Barry is an architect working in France. Notable projects to which he has contributed include the Centre Pompidou-Metz, the Stade de France, and the Pavillon de la France for the 1992 Seville Universal Exposition. His writings on architecture include a chapter in La Fondation Louis Vuitton par Frank Gehry (2014) and his 1999 work Portes d’Afrique.
Registration required. Free and open to the public.
*The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Barry will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
Click here to RSVP
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Important on-site information regarding COVID-19: Masks remain strongly recommended, per the French Ministry of Health.

(Hybrid) The Future of Reality with David Chalmers
2022-07-05 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Join Evenings with an Author (in-person and online*) to discuss
Reality+
with philosopher David Chalmers
Click here to RSVP
Is virtual reality separate from reality? Are our experiences in virtual reality real? If everything is a simulation, does that mean that nothing is real? The answer to these questions, proposes philosopher David Chalmers in his new book Reality+, lies in expanding our definition of what is real. Using the approach of “technophilosophy,” which employs new technology to answer questions in philosophy and vice versa, Chalmers offers a thorough and captivating argument for the reality of virtual worlds.
Taking up problems in the history of philosophy ranging from Plato’s cave to Descartes’ evil demon, Chalmers inserts virtual reality and the metaverse into a philosophical debate. His argument is that simulated worlds are not only real, but that they are capable of providing experiences which exceed those possible in the “real world.” Moving with ease from the mind-body problem to The Matrix, Chalmers presents (in his work) a refreshing and surprising fusion of cultural commentary, technological insight, and philosophical meditation.
Click here to RSVP
About the speaker:
David Chalmers is a philosopher and cognitive scientist specializing in philosophy of mind and philosophy of language. He is Professor of Philosophy at New York University and co-director of NYU’s Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness. Chalmers is the author of three books, including The Conscious Mind (1996), as well as numerous articles. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2013.
Registration required. Free and open to the public.
*The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Chalmers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
Click here to RSVP
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Important on-site information regarding COVID-19: Masks remain strongly recommended, per the French Ministry of Health.

Teen Book Club: "Scythe" (ages 12–adult)
2022-07-02 14:00 - 15:00
Teen Book Club: “Scythe” by Neal Shusterman

For ages 12–adult

Join us to discuss Scythe by Neal Shusterman, and other dystopian worlds.
This book club meeting will be facilitated by Visiting Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian Jessie Hudson and Front of House Assistant Pallas-Amenah Morgan. Light snacks and drinks will be provided.

Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Masks are strongly encouraged for all Library visitors ages 6 and up, staff, and volunteers. Event attendees are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library’s Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Rules and Code of Conduct

Register here

We are an independent, nonprofit organization celebrating our 102nd year of service. With your continued support, we are able to provide over 200 programs each year for ages 0–18. If you would like to support the Library, you can make a donation to help sustain this vital institution, and programs such as this one.

Donate to the Library

(Online) Jasmine Hemsley on Ayurveda and Mind Body Balance
2022-06-30 19:30 - 20:30
Join Evenings with an Author (online) to discuss
East by West
with author and chef Jasmine Hemsley
Click here to RSVP
Following her immensely successful pop-up café East by West, the first Ayurvedic eatery in Central London, author and chef Jasmine Hemsley has authored the cookbook East by West, which propels the ancient Ayurvedic relationship between eating and wellbeing into the modern age.
A 5,000-year-old holistic healing system, Ayurveda promotes the use of nutrition, mindful rituals, and cleanses to nourish and energize. Hemsley proposes a method of cooking which changes our approach to food, replacing damaging notions of guilt and indulgence with balance and respect. Eating well can and should make us feel well, she argues, and one does not have to be a trained chef in order to achieve this. Offering 140 recipes, the book also works to demystify Ayurveda, offering simple steps for readers to follow to achieve health of body and mind. Hemsley will be speaking at the library on the history of Ayurveda, how the practice has changed her relation to food and the earth, and the many uses of Ayurveda in the busy present day. Ultimately, she will demonstrate how a holistic and healthier life is possible for us all.
Click here to RSVP
About the speaker:
Jasmine Hemsley is a best-selling writer, chef, TV presenter, and wellbeing expert. She is the author of East by West (2017), awarded the 2018 Women’s Health Wellbeing Book of the Year Award, and co-author of Good + Simple (2016) and The Art of Eating Well (2014). Hemsley hosts two podcasts, The Wellness Connection and SELF-Sustainable, and is an ambassador for Women for Women, Cool Earth and Wild at Heart Foundation.
Registration required. Free and open to the public.

(Hybrid) Memory, Mothers, and Migration with Estelle-Sarah Bulle
2022-06-29 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Join Evenings with an Author (in person and online*) to discuss
Where Dogs Bark with Their Tails
with author Estelle-Sarah Bulle
Click here to RSVP
Join the American Library to celebrate the recent English translation of author Estelle-Sarah Bulle’s debut novel, Là ou les chiens aboient par la queue. A moving and layered story of memory, heritage, and diaspora, the work tells of the Ezechiel family and their slow migration through both geography and class, from the countryside of Guadeloupe to the suburbs of Paris. Framed by a young woman seeking to learn about her family’s past, the story is populated by a rich ensemble of voices and woven through with stories which range from devastating to fantastic, contending with loss, love, exploitation, exile, and the mythologization of return. The conversation will be moderated by the English translator of the novel, Julia Grawemeyer.
Click here to RSVP
About the speaker:
Estelle-Sarah Bulle is a French novelist. She has authored three works, including Les Étoiles les plus filantes (2021) and Les fantômes d’Issa (2020). Là ou les chiens aboient par la queue received the Prix Stanislas du Premier Roman and the Prix Carbet de la Caraïbe and Tout-Monde. The English translation was published in 2022.
Julia Grawemeyer is a literary translator. Her first translation, Save the Planet by Corine Sombrun and Almir Narayamoga Surui, was released in July 2018. She has taught French and Creative Writing at the university level.
Registration required.
*The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Bulle and Grawemeyer will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
Click here to RSVP
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Important on-site information regarding COVID-19: Masks remain strongly recommended, per the French Ministry of Health.

(Hybrid) The Family Chao with Lan Samantha Chang
2022-06-28 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Join Evenings with an Author (in person and online*) to discuss
The Family Chao
with author Lan Samantha Chang
Click here to RSVP
Lan Samantha Chang’s latest novel, The Family Chao, gives new life to the ancient story of the son (allegedly) killing the father. Reminiscent of Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov, the work is catalyzed by the murder of a patriarch upon the homecoming of his three sons. Here, patricide is exceptionally used to explore racist and anti-immigrant attitudes latent in American society, showing how crisis pushes these sentiments to the surface. Set largely in and around the family Chinese restaurant, this is a brilliant story of hunger and consumption: devouring traditional and Americanized dishes, media, and ideology, characters are glutted on the drama of the murder, the spectacle of an ensuing trial, and the tantalizing mythology of the American dream. Chang will be in conversation with Alex Capdeville.
Click here to RSVP
About the speaker:
Lan Samantha Chang is the author of four books, including the novels Inheritance (2004) and All is Forgotten, Nothing is Lost (2010). She is the Elizabeth M. Stanley Professor in the Arts at the University of Iowa and the Director of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Chang has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, and the American Academy in Berlin. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, Ploughshares, and The Best American Short Stories. She was a 2015 recipient of the Library’s Visiting Fellowship, sponsored by The de Groot Foundation.
Alex Capdeville lives in Paris with his wife and five-year old daughter, and works as a set constructor for French TV. He has published a translation of his short story “The Stranger Chain” in the French review Rue Saint Ambroise, as well as an author interview with Ethel Rohan in the online magazine Scoundrel Time.
Registration required.
*The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Chang and Capdeville will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
Click here to RSVP
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Important on-site information regarding COVID-19: Masks remain strongly recommended, per the French Ministry of Health.

Paper Circuits Coding Workshop (ages 12–18)
2022-06-25 15:00 - 16:30
Paper Circuits Coding Workshop
With David Zikovitz
For ages 12–18

We all know paper is magic. Putting words and pictures on paper can transport us to new worlds, teach us new ideas, and give us new experiences. In this workshop we’ll find out what else paper can do, giving it a technological upgrade and turning it into so much more! We’ll incorporate conductive materials and electronics components and explore paper’s structural qualities to make cards, books, or sculptures that come to three-dimensional, interactive life.

About David Zikovitz: David is a Paris-based maker and educator. Originally from Toronto, Canada, he has taught and studied in international schools and learning communities around the world, including in Tokyo, Milan, and most recently New York City. He currently teaches coding and digital fabrication at Columbia University’s Teachers College where he is also a member of the Transformative Learning Technologies Lab and the Snow Day Learning Lab, both dedicated to researching and developing innovative technological learning experiences for young people. He’s particularly interested in the use of technology in informal learning spaces.

Important information: Advance registration is required to attend this event. Participation in teen events is free for Library members and 10 euros per person for non-members. Masks are strongly encouraged for all Library visitors ages 6 and up, staff, and volunteers. Library visitors are expected to familiarize themselves with the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.
We thank you for your continued support and for being a part of the Library community!
Register here

Donate to the Library

How to Tell a Story, with Charlotte Sebag-Montefiore (ages 8–12)
2022-06-25 11:00 - 12:00
How to Tell a Story
with Charlotte Sebag-Montefiore
For ages 8–12

Join author Charlotte Sebag-Montefiore for an interactive writing workshop. Charlotte will lead participants in the creation of their own original stories.
Each child (aged 8–12) may participate in the program on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library.
About Charlotte Sebag-Montefiore: Charlotte Sebag-Montefiore’s many years of experience as a clinical psychologist in the NHS, and as a mother and grandmother, has helped her produce books which children love. Charlotte loves dinosaurs and animals, and Charlotte really enjoys rhymes and riddles! Her books, Who Am I?, More Animal Riddles and More Animal Riddles from the Sea combine her interest in animals, with her love of rhyme and riddles. Her book Herbie and the T. Rex includes dinosaur characters who each deal with the issues confronting them in their own way. Charlotte has been to over 40 schools where she enjoys giving workshops related to poetry and writing poems, stories and writing stories, dinosaurs and animals. Read more about Charlotte here.

Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Masks are strongly encouraged for all Library visitors ages 6 and up, staff, and volunteers. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Children in the Library Policy

Register here

We are an independent, nonprofit organization celebrating our 101st year of service. With your continued support, we are able to provide over 200 programs each year for ages 0–18. If you would like to support the Library, you can make a donation to help sustain this vital institution, and programs such as this one.

Donate to the Library

Werewolves and Sardines (ages 12–18)
2022-06-24 19:00 - 21:00
Werewolves and Sardines
For ages 12–18

Trick your friends, and plot to win, as we play the group card game werewolf. Then, play a game of reverse tag (Sardines) in the Library.

Light snacks and drinks will be provided.

Important information: Advance registration is required to attend this event, and each teen must have a signed permission slip on file at the Library in order to participate. Participation in teen events is free for Library members and 10 euros per person for non-members. Masks are strongly encouraged for all Library visitors ages 6 and up, staff, and volunteers. Library visitors are expected to familiarize themselves with the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.
We thank you for your continued support and for being a part of the Library community!
Register here

Download a permission slip

Donate to the Library

(Online) Sober Curious with Ruby Warrington
2022-06-22 19:30 - 20:30
Join Evenings with an Author (online) to discuss
Sober Curious
with author Ruby Warrington
Click here to RSVP
In author and editor Ruby Warrington’s Sober Curious, she dares to ask a question that many adults fear: what would happen if we reconsidered our relationship to alcohol, and gave it up voluntarily? How would our bodies, minds, sleeping habits, and productivity levels change? What could a life without alcohol look like?
In response, she formulates the path of the “sober curious”: not a sober lifestyle following an alcohol use disorder, but a series of steps taken by someone considering cutting alcohol out of their life to explore how their life might change. Leading by example, Warrington describes how her own relationship to alcohol changed as she gained distance from it, and how this distance revealed dependencies and physical reactions to alcohol to which she had previously been blind. She encourages readers to recognize their own blindspots when it comes to drinking, and to begin to reconsider why and how alcohol consumption has become the standard in adult life. The choice to go “sober curious” brings a series of lifestyle changes which readers may find challenging, yet Warrington’s encouraging and nonjudgmental voice offers the perfect blend of practical advice and motivational mantras, making a more empowered, alcohol-conscious life accessible to all.
Click here to RSVP
About the speaker:
Ruby Warrington is an author, editor, and book doula. She has authored four books, including Sober Curious (2018), The Sober Curious Reset (2020), and The Numinous Astro Deck (2019). Warrington is the host of the podcast Sober Curious, and founder of the self-publishing imprint Numinous Books.
Registration required. Free and open to the public.

Story Hour: Animal Problems (ages 3–5)
2022-06-22 14:30 - 15:30
Story Hour:
Animal Problems

For ages 3–5
3–5 year-olds and their grown-ups are invited to join us for an interactive Story Hour in a small group! This program lasts an hour, and features songs, stories, and hand rhymes in English.
For this Story Hour, explore picture books about the funny problems animals might have based on their unique physical characteristics, such as Giraffe Problems by Jory John, Lane Smith. This Story Hour will be hosted by Visiting Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian Jessie Hudson, with the help of Library volunteer Mary Wessels. They will read books and lead you and your little one in songs and hand-rhymes during a live, interactive session. This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Plan to join in, sing along, and move around, and model movement and listening for your little one. We ask that caregivers put away their phones and other devices for the duration of this program.

Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.
Register here

Children in the Library Policy

We are an independent, nonprofit organization celebrating our 101st year of service. With your continued support, we are able to provide over 200 programs each year for ages 0–18. If you would like to support the Library, you can make a donation to help sustain this vital institution, and programs such as this one.

Donate to the Library

(Hybrid) An Evening with Souleymane Bachir Diagne
2022-06-20 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Join Evenings with an Author (in person and online*) to discuss
Le fagot de ma mémoire
with author and philosopher Souleymane Bachir Diagne
Click here to RSVP
The American Library is thrilled to invite celebrated philosopher and author Souleymane Bachir Diagne to discuss his recent work, Le fagot de ma mémoire, as well as his extensive writings in philosophy and African literature. In Le fagot de ma mémoire, the author of The Ink of the Scholars: Reflections on Philosophy in Africa and African Art as Philosophy: Senghor, Bergson, and the Idea of Negritude traces his adolescence in Senegal, his studies in Paris at the École Normale Supérieure and the Sorbonne, and his teaching at universities in Dakar, Chicago, and New York, considering the many figures and diverse lines of thought which have influenced his remarkable path.
Diagne’s areas of expertise are remarkably vast: the history of early modern philosophy, philosophy and Sufism in the Islamic world, African philosophy and literature, post-colonialism, translation studies, and twentieth century French philosophy, particularly Henri Bergson. In conversation with Programs Manager Alice McCrum, the two will consider the interactions of these varying fields through the lens of his insistent pluralism and dedication to intellectual openness. They will also speak on the situation of the present-day francophone world, looking with a critical eye at the recent elections in France, global COVID responses, and the geopolitical landscape of the twenty-first century.
Click here to RSVP
About the speaker:
Souleymane Bachir Diagne is an author, philosopher, and historian of philosophy. He served as Counselor for Education and Culture for the Republic of Senegal from 1993 to 1999, and is currently Professor of French and Chair of the Department of French and Romance Philology at Columbia University. Diagne has been awarded the 2011 Dagnan-Bouveret prize by the French Academy of Moral and Political Sciences and the 2011 Edouard Glissant Prize for his work.
Registration required. Free and open to the public.
*The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Diagne will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.

Summer Reading Challenge (all ages)
2022-06-18 14:00 - 15:00
Summer Reading Challenge

For children and teens of all ages

How does the Children’s Summer Reading Challenge work?
Library members who are interested in participating must register for the Summer Reading Challenge: Read the Universe (for ages 0–12) online. Registered participants may then stop by the Children’s and Teens’ Services Desk at the Library to pick up their Challenge Cards or download them online. For each day that you read 30 minutes or more, fill in one of the spaces on the card. After five days, the card will be complete. When a Challenge Card is completed, stop by the Children’s and Teens’ Services Desk to drop off your Challenge Card(s) in our raffle box and enter to win great prizes. A raffle will be held each week throughout the summer. The more challenges you complete, the more chances you have to win. For young children, being read to counts as well!

Complete as many challenges as you can between 18 June and 27 August 2022 and turn in your challenge cards at the Children’s and Teens’ Services Desk by 27 August to be entered into the grand prize drawing, and earn your certificate of participation.

How does the 10 Book Challenge for Teens work?
Library members who are interested in participating must register for the 10 Book Challenge (for ages 12–18) online. Registered participants may then stop by the Children’s and Teens’ Services Desk at the Library to pick up their Challenge Cards or download them online. For each challenge completed, teens win a new book! When you’ve completed a challenge, stop by the Children’s and Teens’ Services Desk and show your Challenge Cards to a member of the Children’s and Teens’ Services staff, in exchange for a prize book to keep!
All challenges must be completed between 18 June–27 August, and Challenge Cards
All registered participants will be send an invitation to meet other readers and celebrate the beginning of the Library’s Summer Reading Challenge on Saturday 18 June at 14h00! Children ages 0–6 must be accompanied by an adult at all times when inside the Library. Each child (aged 6–12) may participate in the program on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library. Teens may participate in this program on their own.
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Thanks to Visiting Librarian Jessie Hudson for coordinating this year’s Summer Reading Challenge with us!

Children in the Library Policy

Register here for the Summer Reading Challenge for ages 0–12

Register here for the Ten Book Challenge for ages 12–18

We are an independent, nonprofit organization celebrating our 101st year of service. With your continued support, we are able to provide over 200 programs each year for ages 0–18. If you would like to support the Library, you can make a donation to help sustain this vital institution, and programs such as this one.

Donate to the Library

(Hybrid) The Centennial of Ulysses with Adam Biles, Alice McCrum & Lex Paulson
2022-06-16 19:30 - 21:00 | The American Library in Paris
Join Evenings with an Author (in person and online*) to celebrate
Bloomsday
with Bloomcast podcast hosts Adam Biles, Alice McCrum & Lex Paulson
Click here to RSVP
In 1924, celebrated author James Joyce mentioned in a letter that he had recently learned of “a group of people who observe what they call Bloom’s day–16 June.” Named for Ulysses protagonist Leopold Bloom, what is now known as Bloomsday is celebrated yearly on June 16th, the day in 1904 that Ulysses takes place. This year, as we mark the centennial of the publication of Ulysses through famed Paris bookstore Shakespeare and Company, the Library is thrilled to be hosting Programs Manager Alice McCrum, Literary Director of Shakespeare & Co. Adam Biles, and Dr. Lex Paulson for a live recording of their Ulysses-themed podcast, Bloomcast.
Following a day of celebration of Ulysses at Shakespeare and Company, this event at the American Library will mark the grand finale of Bloomcast. McCrum, Biles, and Paulson will be discussing the book’s famous ending, their overall reading experiences, and their final thoughts on Joyce’s magnum opus. Join them as they muddle, for one last time, through this radical, sublime, and often misunderstood novel first published one hundred years ago, in 1922.
Click here to RSVP
About the speakers:
A student of environmental policy at Sciences Po-Paris, Alice McCrum runs programming at the American Library in Paris.
In between fits of Joycean nerdery, Dr. Lex Paulson is Executive Director of the School of Collective Intelligence at Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique in Morocco. An adopted Parisian, he teaches at Sciences Po-Paris and writes on the past and future of democracy.
Adam Biles is Literary Director at Shakespeare and Company, Paris. He is the author of the novel Feeding Time, available in French as Défense de nourrir les vieux.
Registration required. Free and open to the public.
*The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (McCrum, Paulson, and Biles will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
Click here to RSVP
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Important on-site information regarding COVID-19: Masks remain strongly recommended, per the French Ministry of Health.

Story Hour: Here Come the Aliens (ages 3–5)
2022-06-15 14:30 - 15:30
Story Hour:
Here Come the Aliens

For ages 3–5
3–5 year-olds and their grown-ups are invited to join us for an interactive Story Hour in a small group! This program lasts an hour, and features songs, stories, and hand rhymes in English.
For this Story Hour, enjoy picture books all about aliens, including There’s an Alien in Your Book by Tom Fletcher. This Story Hour will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian Kirsty McCulloch Reid, with the help of Library volunteer Mary Wessels. They will read books and lead you and your little one in songs and hand-rhymes during a live, interactive session. This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Plan to join in, sing along, and move around, and model movement and listening for your little one. We ask that caregivers put away their phones and other devices for the duration of this program.

Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Register here

Children in the Library Policy

We are an independent, nonprofit organization celebrating our 101st year of service. With your continued support, we are able to provide over 200 programs each year for ages 0–18. If you would like to support the Library, you can make a donation to help sustain this vital institution, and programs such as this one.

Donate to the Library

Storm Science (ages 6–12)
2022-06-11 11:00 - 12:00
Storm Science

For ages 6–12

Join Front of House Assistant Pallas-Amenah in crafting your very own mini tornado using tools and ingredients you can find in your home, and learn about the swirling winds of a tornado’s vortex!
Each child (aged 6–12) may participate in the program on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library.

Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Children in the Library Policy

Register here

We are an independent, nonprofit organization celebrating our 101st year of service. With your continued support, we are able to provide over 200 programs each year for ages 0–18. If you would like to support the Library, you can make a donation to help sustain this vital institution, and programs such as this one.

Donate to the Library

Young Authors Fiction Festival Celebration 2022
2022-06-10 18:00 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
The 2022 Young Authors Fiction Festival culminates with a celebration event on Friday 10 June 2022 at the American Library in Paris. Come join us as we celebrate the stories that were selected for top honors and all the young authors who participated in this year’s YAFF. Each finalist will be awarded a certificate and personalised bookmark. YAFF celebration booklets with the stories of all the 1st to 5th place winners will be available for 15€ per booklet at the celebration event.

The YAFF celebration event is in two parts: lower grades and upper grades.
Lower Grades 18h00-19h00: The finalists in the lower grades (CP/1st – CM2/5th Grade) are asked to arrive for registration at 17h45, with the ceremony beginning at 18h00.
Upper Grades 19h30-20h30: The finalists in the upper grades (6ème/6th Grade – Terminale/12th Grade) are asked to arrive for registration at 19h15, with the ceremony beginning at 19h30.
Please RSVP here

About the Young Authors Fiction Festival
The American Library in Paris is proud to be the organizer of the Young Authors Fiction Festival. YAFF aims to strengthen community among English-speakers in the Paris area through the art and craft of storytelling. YAFF is open to all students ages 5 to 18 in the greater Paris area who write in English. Submission to YAFF 2022 closed on 1 April 2022. For more information about YAFF please visit americanlibraryinparis.org/yaff/
For questions regarding the YAFF celebration event, please contact the YAFF team at yaff@americanlibraryinparis.org.

The Library would like to thank the sponsors of YAFF 2022: The British Council in France, Marymount International School Paris and Union School, a new bilingual school opening in September 2022.

(Hybrid) Liminal Spaces with Vanessa Onwuemezi
2022-06-08 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Join Evenings with an Author (in person and online*) to discuss
Dark Neighbourhood
with author Vanessa Onwuemezi and editor Daniel Medin
Click here to RSVP
The Center for Writers and Translators at the American University of Paris is delighted to present, in collaboration with the American Library in Paris, a conversation with Vanessa Onwuemenzi about Dark Neighbourhood, her debut collection of short fiction. Published last October, the volume was named a Guardian Best Fiction of 2021. “She sends English off on a great line of flight,” novelist Tom McCarthy has remarked of Onwuemenzi’s writing, “from which it returns as poetry.”
Click here to RSVP
About the speakers:
Vanessa Onwuemezi lives in London. Her work has appeared in Granta, Prototype, frieze and Five Dials. Her story “At the Heart of Things” won the White Review Short Story Prize 2019.
Daniel Medin is an editor and professor of comparative literature at the American University of Paris.
Registration required.
*The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Onwuemezi and Medin will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
Click here to RSVP
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Important on-site information regarding COVID-19: Masks remain strongly recommended, per the French Ministry of Health.

Story Hour: Worry-free (ages 3–5)
2022-06-08 14:30 - 15:30
Story Hour:
Worry-free

For ages 3–5
3–5 year-olds and their grown-ups are invited to join us for an interactive Story Hour in a small group! This program lasts an hour, and features songs, stories, and hand rhymes in English.
For this Story Hour, enjoy picture books all about worries and anxiety, including Catching Thoughts by Bonnie Clark, illustrated by Summer Macon. This Story Hour will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads, with the help of Library volunteer Mary Wessels. They will read books and lead you and your little one in songs and hand-rhymes during a live, interactive session. This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Plan to join in, sing along, and move around, and model movement and listening for your little one. We ask that caregivers put away their phones and other devices for the duration of this program.

Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.
Register here

Children in the Library Policy

We are an independent, nonprofit organization celebrating our 101st year of service. With your continued support, we are able to provide over 200 programs each year for ages 0–18. If you would like to support the Library, you can make a donation to help sustain this vital institution, and programs such as this one.

Donate to the Library

Riddle Me This: Creating Jokes (ages 6–12)
2022-06-04 11:00 - 12:00
Riddle Me This: Creating Jokes

For ages 6–12

Come along to the Children’s Library to learn about riddles and jokes. Join Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste and volunteers as we learn how to tell American knock-knock jokes, and then create your own jokes in classic formats working with idioms and homonyms.

Each child (aged 6–12) may participate in the program on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library.

Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Masks are strongly encouraged for all Library visitors ages 6 and up, staff, and volunteers. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Children in the Library Policy

Register here

We are an independent, nonprofit organization celebrating our 101st year of service. With your continued support, we are able to provide over 200 programs each year for ages 0–18. If you would like to support the Library, you can make a donation to help sustain this vital institution, and programs such as this one.

Donate to the Library
