Overview:
The 32nd edition of Livres en Folie, organized by Le Nouvelliste, drew hundreds of readers, authors and book lovers to the El Rancho Hotel in Pétion-Ville on June 4. This year’s event paid tribute to renowned Haitian poet and novelist René Depestre, whose work has shaped Haitian and Francophone literature for more than seven decades. Featuring more than 1,100 books by 114 Haitian authors, the event highlighted a wide range of works, from history and essays to novels, poetry, economic analysis, and school textbooks.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — The 32nd edition of Livres en Folie paid tribute this year to renowned Haitian writer René Depestre while drawing hundreds of readers, authors and families to Haiti’s largest annual celebration of books and literature.
The book festival was held on June 4 at the El Rancho Hotel in Pétion-Ville, and brought together 114 Haitian authors and featured more than 1,100 titles spanning history, novels, poetry, essays, economics, social studies and school textbooks.
The tribute to Depestre gave this year’s edition special significance.
Born in Jacmel in 1926, Dépestre is widely regarded as one of Haiti’s most influential literary voices. Poet, novelist and essayist, he has spent more than seven decades writing about freedom, identity, exile, Caribbean culture and the Haitian experience. His acclaimed novel “Hadriana dans tous mes rêves” earned France’s Prix Renaudot in 1988, and in May he received the 2026 Goncourt Poetry Prize for his lifetime body of work.
The homage comes during a year of celebrations marking the centennial of the writer’s birth, with literary institutions across Haiti organizing activities dedicated to his life and work.
Beyond the tribute, Livres en Folie once again showcased the vitality of Haitian literature.
Children and teenagers, accompanied by their parents and other participants, were searching for all types of books to purchase. Readers lined up to meet authors and collect signatures. Former state officials, members of the current government, representatives of the diplomatic corps in Haiti, and numerous reading enthusiasts also attended the event in the large courtyard of the El Rancho Hotel.
Throughout the day, the hotel courtyard buzzed with conversations about books, writing and Haiti’s cultural life. In a warm and friendly atmosphere, participants enjoyed moments of relaxation, exchange, and sharing against a backdrop of conversation about the security and economic challenges currently facing the country.
Organized by Le Nouvelliste since 1995, Livres en Folie remains one of Haiti’s most enduring cultural traditions and one of the few events that consistently bring together readers and writers from across generations.
Below is a photo gallery capturing moments from the 32nd edition of Livres en Folie at the El Rancho Hotel in Pétion-Ville on Thursday, June 4, 2026.
People line up to enter the El Rancho Hotel to take part in the 32nd edition of Livres en Folie in Pétion-Ville on Thursday, June 4, 2026. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise / The Haitian Times
People gather in the courtyard of the El Rancho Hotel, just a few minutes away from the book exhibition stands and author signing sessions at the 32nd edition of Livres en Folie in Pétion-Ville on Thursday, June 4, 2026. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise / The Haitian Times
Participants at the 32nd edition of Livres en Folie in Pétion-Ville speak with members of the event’s logistics team to locate specific book titles they came to purchase on Thursday, June 4, 2026. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise / The Haitian Times
View of the public inside the venue where authors are holding book-signing sessions and books are being exhibited for sale at the 32nd edition of Livres en Folie at the El Rancho Hotel in Pétion-Ville on Thursday, June 4, 2026. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise / The Haitian Times
The 32nd edition of Livres en Folie displays a banner that pays tribute to the renowned writer René Depestre, at the El Rancho Hotel in Pétion-Ville on Thursday, June 4, 2026. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise / The Haitian Times
The pavilion of the Ministry of Culture and Communication of Haiti, one of the sponsors of the 32nd edition of Livres en Folie at the El Rancho Hotel in Pétion-Ville on Thursday, June 4, 2026. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise / The Haitian Times
Former provisional president of Haiti Jocelerme Privert is seen at the 32nd edition of Livres en Folie at the El Rancho Hotel in Pétion-Ville on Thursday, June 4, 2026. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise / The Haitian Times
Children at the UNESCO pavilion write about what Haiti represents to them during the 32nd edition of Livres en Folie at the El Rancho Hotel in Pétion-Ville on Thursday, June 4, 2026. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise / The Haitian Times
Haitian writer Gary Victor overjoyed at the 32nd edition of Livres en Folie at the El Rancho Hotel in Pétion-Ville on Thursday, June 4, 2026. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise / The Haitian Times
Haitian writer Daniel Supplice sits at a table at the 32nd edition of Livres en Folie at the El Rancho Hotel in Pétion-Ville on Thursday, June 4, 2026. Photo by Juhakenson Blaise / The Haitian Times
