At the heart of WICE's commitment to cultural enrichment and connection is its vibrant literary program, a curated series of activities designed to cater to the diverse literary tastes of our international membership.

From Page to Stage: Readings of Prize-Winning Plays offers a unique rendezvous for theater lovers. Meeting monthly, members immerse themselves in award-winning English-language plays from diverse cultural backgrounds. With plays typically in two acts and featuring 6-10 characters, the group works to ensure a gender balance among playwrights and a rich representation of British, Irish, American, and Scottish playwrights.

For those with a penchant for dissecting literary masterpieces, WICE offers several options:

  • Café Littéraire: Savoring French Literature in English gives members the opportunity to read and discuss French works in English translation that have won the prestigious Prix Goncourt, awarded for "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year," or the equally prestigious Prix Femina.
  • Bookers: Discovering the best in international literature.

Storyscapes: Where Art Meets Text offers a unique experience that seamlessly blends the worlds of literature and art. Participants first immerse themselves in a selected novel, then embark on a guided tour of renowned museums such as the Louvre or the Musée d'Orsay, where they use works of art that resonate with the story's plot points, themes, characters, events, or settings to foster deeper connections and enriching discussions.

Author readings are a bibliophile's delight. Several times a year, WICE becomes the platform where novelists, poets, short story writers, and memoirists share their creations, giving members an intimate glimpse into the author's world.

Finally, Upstairs at Duroc is a testament to WICE's contribution to the literary world. Founded in 1999, this English-language literary magazine has become a beacon for emerging and established writers. Published biennially, it features an eclectic mix of poetry and short prose, inviting contributions from the Parisian literary landscape and talented writers from around the world.

At its core, WICE's literary program is a celebration of the written word, fostering connections and discussions and enriching the cultural fabric of its community.

You can stay up to date on our literary program by subscribing to our newsletter, WICE Direct, following us on FaceBook, or simply checking this page from time to time.


UPCOMING EVENTS

    • 12 Dec 2024
    • 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM
    • In the Marais (3eme) - Details to be announced
    • 8
    Register
    "Women Talking," by Miriam Toews

    For several years, girls and women in the remote Mennonite colony of Molotschna have reported assaults in the night by what some in the community claim are ghosts or demons. Others blame “wild female imagination”—until several of the men behind the attacks are discovered and apprehended. While the men of the colony go into town to bail out the accused, the women meet secretly in a hayloft to determine how to respond. They have just two days to decide what to do before the men return. Acerbic, funny, tender and wise, acclaimed author Miriam Toews’s spellbinding seventh novel contains a universe of revelatory thinking about gender, justice, freedom and power.

    Registration opens on 22 November.





    • 20 Dec 2024
    • 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
    • Near La Motte-Picquet Grenelle metro. Address to be provided after registration
    • 3
    Register

    The Stranger, by Albert Camus, tells the story of Meursault, a detached and emotionally indifferent man living in French Algeria. After his mother's death, Meursault becomes involved in a series of events that culminate in his senseless killing of an Arab man on a sunlit beach. Through Meursault’s trial and ultimate condemnation, the novel explores themes of absurdity, alienation, and the meaning of life. Camus presents a stark examination of society’s expectations and the human confrontation with a universe devoid of inherent purpose.

    Published in 1942, The Stranger is considered a seminal work of existentialist literature and a cornerstone of Camus’s philosophy of the absurd.




    • 24 Jan 2025
    • 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
    • 6 rue Saint Louis en Île, 75004
    • 7

    A book has not been chosen yet for the January meeting. It will, however,  be an award-winning book that was originally published in French and is available in English translation.

    The group discusses the book in English.

    The book group normally meets at the organizer's apartment in the 15th arrondissement, and the directions, door code, telephone number, etc., are sent following registration.

    Registration for the December meeting opens on 21 December.




    • 14 Feb 2025
    • 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
    • To Be Announced
    • 13

    "Arcadia" is a 1993 stage play by Tom Stoppard that intertwines two storylines set in the same English country house, Sidley Park, but separated by two centuries.

    In the early 19th century, the story follows the inhabitants of Sidley Park, including Thomasina Coverly, a young girl fascinated by mathematics, and her tutor, Septimus Hodge. Their intellectual pursuits intersect with romantic entanglements and the landscape architecture of the garden.

    In the present day, a group of academics and historians investigates the events of the past, attempting to uncover the truth behind a mysterious hermit who lived on the estate and the fate of Thomasina.

    As the play unfolds, themes of love, science, literature, and the elusive nature of truth emerge, with Stoppard blending humor, intellect, and emotion to explore the interconnectedness of past and present, and the eternal quest for knowledge and understanding.


    This play is 48 pages and has 13 characters. The estimated reading time is 1 1/2 hours.

    The reading will take place at a member's apartment. The address, door code, and phone number will be sent in the two reminder emails.

    As always, two spots are reserved for new WICE members until a few days before the reading. If they have not been filled, we open them to members on the wait list.

    Registration opens on 09 September 2024.

    • 28 Feb 2025
    • 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
    • 6 rue Saint Louis en Île, 75004
    • 8

    A book has not been chosen yet for the February meeting. It will, however,  be an award-winning book that was originally published in French and is available in English translation.

    The group discusses the book in English.

    The book group normally meets at the organizer's apartment in the 15th arrondissement, and the directions, door code, telephone number, etc., are sent following registration.

    Registration for the February meeting opens on 25 January 2025




    • 28 Mar 2025
    • 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
    • 6 rue Saint Louis en Île, 75004
    • 9

    A book has not been chosen yet for the March meeting. It will, however,  be an award-winning book that was originally published in French and is available in English translation.

    The group discusses the book in English.

    The book group normally meets at the organizer's apartment in the 15th arrondissement, and the directions, door code, telephone number, etc., are sent following registration.

    Registration for the March meeting opens on 28 February 2025.




Past events

22 Nov 2024 LN221 Café Littéraire: Bonjour Tristesse ("Hello Sadness"), by Françoise Sagan
21 Nov 2024 LN211 Bookers: A Bend in the River, by V.S. Naipaul
25 Oct 2024 LO251 Café Littéraire: Lady in White ("La Dame Blanche"), by Christian Bobbin
04 Oct 2024 LO041 Café Littéraire: HHhH, by Laurent Binet
05 Jul 2024 LL051 Café Littéraire: The Elegance of the Hedgehog (L'Élégance du hérisson), Muriel Barbary
13 Jun 2024 LJ1306 Bookers: The Bee Sting, by Paul Murray
17 May 2024 LY171 Café Littéraire: The Braid (La Tresse), by Laetitia Colombani
16 May 2024 LM1605 Bookers: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, by Olga Tokarczuk
26 Apr 2024 LA261 Café Littéraire: The Lover (L'Amant), by Marguerite Duras
24 Apr 2024 BA101 French Lit for Fun
11 Apr 2024 LA1104 Bookers: Celestial Bodies, by Jokha Alharthi
05 Apr 2024 LA051 Play Reading: "The Pretentious Young Ladies", by Molière
29 Mar 2024 LM291 Café Littéraire Spring and Autumn Book Selection
14 Mar 2024 LM1403 Bookers: The Bone People, by Keri Hulme
01 Mar 2024 LM011 Play Reading: 12 Angry Men, by Reginald Rose
23 Feb 2024 LM221 Café Littéraire - L'Ordre du Jour (The Order of the Day), by Éric Vuillard
08 Feb 2024 LF0802 Bookers: The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, by Shehan Karunatilaka
02 Feb 2024 LF021 Play Reading: "The Importance of Being Earnest," by Oscar Wilde
26 Jan 2024 LJ261 Café Littéraire - Nos Richesses (Our Riches), by Kaouther Adimi
17 Jan 2024 BJ172 French Lit for Fun
11 Jan 2024 LJ1101 Bookers: Treacle Walker, by Alan Garner
05 Jan 2024 LJ051 Play Reading: "The Autumn Garden," by Lillian Hellman
15 Dec 2023 LD151 Café Littéraire: Personne (No One), by Gwenaëlle Aubry
14 Dec 2023 LD1412 Bookers: Treacle Walker, by Alan Garner
01 Dec 2023 LD011 Play Reading: Great Catherine, by George Bernard Shaw
24 Nov 2023 LN241 L'Anomalie (The Anomaly), by Hervé le Tellier
23 Nov 2023 LN2311 Bookers: Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan
27 Oct 2023 LO271 Mémoires d'une jeune fille rangée (Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter), by Simone de Beauvoir
26 Oct 2023 LO2610 Bookers: Great Granny Webster, by Caroline Blackwood
11 Oct 2023 BO112 French Lit for Fun
09 Jun 2023 WU0901 Grey Bees (Les Abeilles grises) by Andrey Kurkov
12 May 2023 WY1201 Nos richesses (Our Riches / A Bookshop in Algiers) by Kaouther Adimi
29 Apr 2023 WA2201 The Craft of Writing - Spring Edition
24 Apr 2023 BA241 French Lit for Fun
10 Mar 2023 WM1002 Literary Louvre Walk
01 Mar 2023 WM011 Haiku: How to Enjoy, Write, and Publish Them
10 Feb 2023 WF101 - The Siege (La Faim), by Helen Dunmore
13 Jan 2023 WJ131 - The Catcher in the Rye (L'Attrape-cœurs) by J.D. Salinger.
09 Dec 2022 WD091 Bilingual Book Group "Small Things Like These" (Ce genre de petites choses), by Claire Keegan
18 Nov 2022 WN181 Bilingual Book Group "The Hummingbird" (Le Colibri/Il Colibri), by Sandro Veronesi
18 Oct 2022 WO111 Flash Fiction
14 Oct 2022 WO141 Bilingual Book Group "What's Left of Me Is Yours" (Ce qu'il me reste de toi), by Sephanie Scott (Meet the Author)
09 Sep 2022 WS91 Bilingual Book Group "The Promise" (La Promesse), by Damon Galgut
27 Jun 2022 WU274 PWW Creative Nonfiction Master Class: Creative Nonfiction Projects with Jeffrey Greene
27 Jun 2022 WU272 PWW Short Story Master Class: Writing and Publishing the Short Story
27 Jun 2022 WU273 PWW Poetry Master Class: Poetry: What Can Language Do?
10 Jun 2022 WU101: Summer Light, and Then Comes The Night (Lumière d'été, puis vient la nuit / Sumarljós og svo kemur nóttin) by Jón Kalman Stefánsson
13 May 2022 WM111 Bilingual Book Group: Il treno dei Bambini (Le Train des enfants/The Children's Train) by Viola Ardone
08 Apr 2022 WA081 Bilingual Book Group: 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World (10 minutes et 38 secondes dans ce monde étrange) by Elif Shafak
11 Mar 2022 WM111 Bilingual Book Group: "Love After Love" - Ingrid Persaud (Meet the Author & Translator)
11 Feb 2022 WF111 Bilingual Book Group: Heart of Darkness (Au cœur des ténèbres) by Joseph Conrad
14 Jan 2022 WJ141 The Women of the Castle (Château de femmes) by Jessica Shattuck
10 Dec 2021 WD101 Here We Are (Le grand jeu) by Graham Swift
19 Nov 2021 WN051 Runaway (Fugitives) by Alice Munro (Group 2)
08 Oct 2021 W081 Bilingual Book Group : Frère d'âme (At Night All Blood is Black) by David Diop
20 Jan 2021 WICE Talks: Pancakes in the City of Light with Author Craig Carlson
01 Jul 2016 PWL012 Literary Dinner
30 Jun 2016 PWU302 Expert Panel
30 Jun 2016 PWU301 Literary Agent Consultation
28 Jun 2016 PWU281 WICE Paris Writers’ Workshop Literary Walk
27 Jun 2014 PWU271 Literary Agent Consultation
24 Jun 2014 PWU241 The Art of Novel Writing
24 Jun 2014 PWU242 The Art of Non-Fiction Writing
24 Jun 2014 PWU243 The Essentials of Screenplay Writing
24 Jun 2014 PWU244 The Art of Writing Novella and Short Story
27 Sep 2011 WS271 Seeing Paris through Literature