Médiathèque des Cités Unies

Rachid Santaki is a novelist, journalist, screenwriter, and entrepreneur. He was born in Saint-Denis (93), and his hometown and its residents continue to inspire his work. He founded the hip-hop magazine 5Styles in 2003, which he published until 2011, and he is the author of the books La petite cité dans la prairie, Les anges s’habillent en caillera and Les princes du bitume.

Santaki presents writing workshops to students and incarcerated individuals. He also organizes “dictées géantes,” or “dictations,” a tradition in French schools, both in France and abroad. He achieved a world record in 2018 for the largest ever dictée, leading 1473 participants in the Stade de France. He has won various prizes for his writing and work, and was named a chevalier de l’ordre national du mérite in honor of his contibutions to France.

David Zikovitz 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.