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The Quais du Polar team
2025 - 21st edition
In 2025, we will focus on an inspiring theme that is at the heart of current events: BORDERS.
Literature first, because crime fiction, far from being a confined genre, now asserts itself as a space of infinite experimentation, where multiple influences intersect and are constantly reinvented. In constant dialogue with other literary and artistic forms, it continuously renews itself, becoming a true source of inspiration. From literary fiction to noir, from dystopian novels to horror, from non-fiction to poetry, including comics and youth literature, crime fiction transcends boundaries and enriches these universes. This fertile hybridization will be at the heart of this edition, exploring the richness and diversity of these intersections. Then, geographic boundaries, with a lineup of international authors that will take readers on a journey across the globe. In a complex geopolitical context, literature plays an essential role in building bridges between cultures. By bringing together writers from around the world, Quais du Polar offers opportunities for dialogue and exchange, allowing us to go beyond geographic borders to share diverse and unique worldviews, convinced that literature can help create a more peaceful world. Sixteen nationalities are represented among the invited authors, offering the chance to meet the great names of international crime fiction and make exciting literary discoveries. Finally, it is an opportunity to more broadly address the symbolic boundaries that separate us: cultural, social, religious, or political. Deeply rooted in social reality, crime fiction closely examines current events and the fractures within our society. By exploring these divisions, it invites us to reflect on the many symbolic boundaries around us. Through their stories, authors shed light on the tensions that divide us, tensions that current events continue to feed.
2024 - 20th edition
This anniversary edition took place from April 5 to 7, 2024, and its main theme was 20 YEARS OF CRIME FICTION.
We celebrated 20 years of a genre that has constantly evolved and reinvented itself, 20 years and hundreds of authors from all walks of life, whom we have sometimes seen emerge and always supported as best we could. Twenty years of exciting, inspiring, and sometimes moving encounters; twenty years and thousands of passionate and enthusiastic festival-goers; twenty years of advice from booksellers; twenty years of film noir, games, investigations, discoveries, professional exchanges, and book-related outreach activities… In short, 20 years of passion for the crime fiction genre. This anniversary was celebrated with themes that highlighted the evolution of the genre and the invitation of leading authors to the festival, while looking to the future by shining a spotlight on new authors, new trends in crime fiction, and new partnerships. Social and socially engaged themes were addressed through discussions and screenings, making the festival a space where literary crime meets major contemporary issues. We celebrated 20 years of a deeply committed genre and took the opportunity to discuss the causes dear to the authors we support: the fight against racism and intolerance, against misogyny and violence against women, against inequality, against environmental damage and its consequences for the planet, and more.
Because 20 years later, crime fiction continues to explore the flaws in society and invites us to reflect on our values.
2023 - 19th edition
For its 19th edition, Quais du Polar set out to discover SPANISH CRIME FICTION.
Like French crime fiction, it has enjoyed a resurgence since the mid-2000s, becoming a veritable publishing and cultural phenomenon. With a large and diverse group of authors representing the variety and richness of the genre, the sometimes dark and tortured history of this country has been explored. Festival-goers strolled through the streets of Barcelona and Madrid in their company and invoked the tutelary figure of Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, who died 20 years earlier. It was a journey through literature, cinema, and gastronomy, into the soul of a modern monarchy where books and culture occupy a major place. The festival also explored the theme of NOIR NOVELS AND JOURNALISM, two forms of writing that have always had very close links. As a form of realistic literature and heir to the popular serial, the crime novel often focuses on current events and news stories in search of a form of truth. Many writers, journalists or former journalists, or authors of noir novels choose to feature journalists as characters in their novels.
From writing reports to writing essays or novels, the guests were able to recount their journeys and how reality influences their writing.
2022 - 18th edition
The 18th edition of the Quais du Polar international festival took place from April 1 to 3, 2022. On this occasion, the festival returned to its usual dates and locations on the Lyon peninsula, after an exceptional last summer edition in 2021. An inexhaustible source of inspiration for authors, both a setting and a character in its own right, THE CITY is at the heart of the programming of this 18th edition. World cities, dark cities, changing cities and utopian cities, we are thus drawing up with the guest authors a global map of crime fiction cities. A journey that takes us to the four corners of the world and allows us to question the new challenges of our post-covid society and to reconnect with the international dimension of the festival.
2021 - 17th edition
The 17th edition of Quais du Polar took place from 2 to 4 July 2021. It was an opportunity to set sail for EUROPE! An unprecedented journey that brought us to meet our neighbours, more or less close geographically and culturally, but all united by this common project that is Europe.
Weakened by Brexit and the many crises that have shaken it, what meaning does Europe still have for writers? What unites and defines us? Can we characterize European literature? What is the place of crime fiction in Europe; Is the European thriller today capable of competing with its Anglo-Saxon cousin? We interviewed the authors present and went through with them our common history and the singular histories of each country.
2020 - 16th edition
The 16th edition, which was to be held on April 3, 4 and 5, 2020, unfortunately had to be cancelled due to Covid-19. This edition was to invite AMERICA FROM THE MARGINS AND THE SHADOWS, with authors from the USA, Canada, Chile, El Salvador and Cuba.
2019 - 15th edition
On the occasion of this anniversary edition, Quais du Polar has honored for the first time the NORDIC THRILLER which, for more than 10 years, has become a real publishing phenomenon in France. More than 25 authors and screenwriters from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland were present. It was an opportunity to draw up a composite portrait of the Nordic crime novel, what makes its essence and originality and to discover these wide open spaces that have fascinated so many readers.
2018 - 14th edition
For this 14th edition, ITALY was at the center of the debates! More than fifteen Italian authors as well as publishers and professionals in the book and audiovisual sectors have been invited to participate in the festival. It was an opportunity to highlight Italian “crime culture”, through literature but also cinema, music… An exceptional focus since Quais du polar brought together in Lyon the greatest current authors of Italian crime fiction, including Donato Carrisi, Luca di Fulvio, Nicola Lagioia and Valerio Varesi.
2017 - 13th edition
The 2017 edition of the Quais du Polar festival was divided into a main theme, EUROPE FROM EAST TO WEST, and then into several other themes. Through this first focus, Quais du polar explored new or still little-known territories of the crime novel: Germany, but also Romania, Ukraine, Estonia, Poland and Serbia further east. New singular and often very dark spaces, offered to the curiosity of readers. The notion of “genre” has also been developed: literary genres of course, with the presence of crime writers and writers from other literary backgrounds. But also the question of the feminine and masculine genders and the place they occupy in the detective novel where the role of the woman – author, character or reader – has fortunately evolved a lot since its beginnings. One wonders if women have not now seized black power…
2016 - 12th edition
During this twelfth edition of Quais du Polar, it was GREAT BRITAIN that was in the spotlight. The other major axes were: the Francophonie (with writers from Algeria, Togo, Gabon, Quebec, Switzerland or Belgium), humor and… football since Lyon is one of the eleven French cities that hosted Euro 2016 in June. A theme “Espionage” addressed burning issues as diverse as geopolitical changes, refugee issues, computer surveillance and financial globalization.
2015 - 11th edition
On the occasion of this 11th edition, Quais du Polar has set sail for THE OTHER AMERICAS. The public was able to discover Central American authors with Paco Ignacio Taibo II (Mexico), Leonardo Padura (Cuba), Horacio Castellanos Moya (El Salvador), Daniel Quirós (Costa Rica). South America with Paulo Lins and Edyr Augusto (Brazil), Luis Sepúlveda (Chile), Santiago Gamboa (Colombia), Ernesto Mallo (Argentina), Diego Trelles Paz (Peru). Adaptation was one of the major themes of this edition with the creation of the “Polar en séries” prize, which rewards a French-speaking thriller for its qualities of adaptation to the TV series, and with a very rich cinema program in partner theaters.
2014 - 10th edition
For this 10th edition, Quais du Polar has decided to highlight the FRENCH THRILLER. In contrast to previous editions, where the festival had promoted other countries or continents, this theme imposed itself. The crime genre has evolved considerably in France over the previous 10 years, with a significant renewal of authors and themes.
2013 - 9th edition
In 2013 ASIA was at the heart of the programme with the presence of authors from China, Japan and Korea, French and Anglo-Saxon authors who were able to discuss their links with this continent and a whole programme in connection (notably a night of Asian black cinema).
2012 - 8th edition
In this year of dual American and French presidential elections, Quais du Polar has chosen to honor the United States, the birthplace of noir fiction and a major territory for the genre in both literature and cinema, by inviting fifteen of the most prestigious American authors. From Michael Connelly to Patricia MacDonald, from Lee Child to Thomas H. Cook, and from Craig Johnson to Dan Fante, American crime fiction in all its diversity will be represented.
2011 - 7th edition
For this 7th edition, MEXICO was the guest of honor: the opportunity to discover a little-known territory of crime fiction and to meet Gabriel Trujillo Munoz, Elmor Mendoza, Sergio Gonzalez Rodriguez, Francisco Haghenbeck…
2010 - 6th edition
During this 6th edition, the countries in the spotlight were RUSSIA, 2010 being the year of France-Russia cultural cooperation and South Africa, in relation to the news of the 2010 football World Cup.
2009 - 5th edition
2009 being the centenary year of the birth of Léo Malet, this edition was an opportunity for Quais du Polar to pay tribute to this essential author of detective literature, father of Nestor Burma, one of the most famous French detectives. A tribute was also paid to Chester Himes on the occasion of the centenary of his birth. A dive into the world of American detectives and the underbelly of New York, the black condition in crime fiction, jazz and blaxploitation films.
2008 - 4th edition
On the menu this year is more noir, of course, but also the whole spectrum of nuances that make up the richness and diversity of the genre. No two novels, films, or authors are alike, and yet… They come together to form this vast world of crime fiction, inviting you to discover its variety of languages, cultures, and atmospheres. Because crime fiction is not just entertainment, we invite you to take a look behind the scenes of the justice system, examine the state of journalism today, and investigate the wars and disasters of tomorrow… As the city prepares to become the European Capital of Culture, now is the time to celebrate a culture that is at once popular and demanding, militant and trendy, familiar and exotic. A culture and an imagination that nourish all forms of artistic expression, from literature to cinema, theater to music, comics to the visual arts. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
2007 - 3rd edition
In 2007, it was the BRITISH THRILLER that was in the spotlight, in the image of its flourishing news. Visitors were able to take advantage of meetings, conferences and debates to paint an overview of the current state of crime fiction across the Channel. The ITALIAN THRILLER was a second strong axis of the festival. A true instrument of social criticism, the Italian black was illustrated by the presence of four emblematic authors: Massimo CARLOTTO, Loriano MACCHIAVELLI, Santo PIAZZESE and Andrea G PINKETTS. Finally, a tribute was paid to the work of Jim Thompson on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his death.
2006 - 2e édition
For its 2nd edition, the festival is multiplying the bridges between disciplines, offering a rich and varied panorama of this literary and cinematographic genre. About fifty French and foreign authors, among the best of the genre, were present in Lyon on this occasion. To be noted, the exceptional presence of Donald Westlake, but also Tonino Benacquista, Iain Pears or Martin Winckler and Patrick Raynal.
2005 - 1st edition
It was between the Rhône and Saône that Quais du Polar organized its first festival in 2005 with the greatest authors of the genre. Quais du Polar wanted to invite the people of Lyon to discover or rediscover crime fiction in all its diversity through a program that opens up another look at the city through a rich program: novels, comics, cinema, urban theater, games and investigations…