Polar Connection, the professional program of Quais du Polar
At the heart of the Quais du Polar festival, Polar Connection is a milestone on the agenda of crime fiction professionals. A shared interest in the genre has brought together many French and international participants over the years. Above all, this event is a ideal platform for discussion, reflection, and collaboration.
Located at the Palais de la Bourse, Polar Connection has been designed as a toolbox for French and international professionals in the book, audiovisual, digital, cultural action, and other industries. Over three intense days, participants will have the opportunity to explore the infinite potential of the crime genre and related topics in the creative industries through discussions, workshops, and inspiring encounters. The program also promotes B2B meetings and networking opportunities, particularly during convivial events such as cocktail parties.
See you in 2026, from April 3 to 5, for a new edition of Polar Connection!
Key features :
– Round tables, conferences, workshops: Expert speakers come together to discuss the major challenges facing their professions, offering an in-depth insight into the world of crime fiction.
– Formal and informal meetings: The Palais de la Bourse, with its Polar Connection Lounge on the first floor, is the ideal setting for B2B meetings and social gatherings, encouraging networking among professionals in the field.
– Source of Inspiration : Quais du Polar serves as a benchmark and source of inspiration thanks to its rich and diverse program. The independent booksellers running the festival’s Grande Librairie play a key role in recommending titles and helping visitors discover new authors.
Main topics
International
Every year, Polar Connection welcomes professionals from different countries. Authors, as well as various figures from the literary world (publishers, translators, etc.) will be welcomed during the different stages of the program, thereby promoting new collaborations and international dialogue around the genre.
Polar on screen
The world of crime fiction on screen also takes center stage, notably with the presentation of the SCELF Crime Fiction Series Award, an event that recognizes a work for its potential to be adapted into a series. A B2B appointment scheduling module will be available for you to meet with the various players involved in audiovisual adaptation.
Let’s talk business
At the heart of the meetings, the program will draw inspiration from current events in the crime fiction genre and issues specific to the cultural and creative industries. A variety of formats, such as workshops, round tables, catalog and project presentations, will encourage exchanges of ideas and experiences.
The professional program will be available through accreditation starting January 6, 2026.
An upcoming 2026 program…
During this preparatory phase, Polar Connection is open to all suggestions for topics, contributions, or speakers. Please feel free to contact us at the following address: polarconnection@quaisdupolar.com
If you would like to gain visibility among professionals participating in the Polar Connection program, check out our visibility offers.
A look back at the 2025 program
The Polar Award for Series - Scelf
The Polar en Séries – Scelf 2025 award promotes French-language crime fiction by highlighting works with potential for adaptation into television series. Developed in collaboration with SCELF (Société Civile des Éditeurs de Langue Française), this award is part of the Polar Connection professional program, creating an essential bridge between the worlds of books and audiovisual media.
The Polar en Séries – Scelf Award recognizes a French-language noir novel, thriller, or crime novel for its intrinsic qualities and potential for adaptation. The selected works illustrate literary creation in the crime fiction genre and offer rich prospects for adaptation into a series.
Polar en Séries is based on a call for submissions from publishing houses specializing in crime fiction.
As the Polar en Séries award ceremony is an integral part of the Polar Connection program, it took place on Friday, April 4, 2025, following a presentation of the works by the publishers themselves at the Chapelle de la Trinité.
The 2025 winner was Benjamin Dierstein, author of Bleus, blancs, rouges (Blue, White, Red). A true immersion into the world of the intelligence services in the late 1970s, Bleus, blancs, rouges offers a sweeping historical and political panorama of this troubled period, marked by social protests.
The jury for the 11th edition of the Polar Series Award: Michel ABOUCHAHLA, president of Écran Total; Matthieu DONCK, director (La Trêve (seasons 1 and 2), Des gens bien, etc.); Aurélie INIESTA, producer, Gaumont Television (Le Signal, etc.); Lamara LEPRÊTRE-HABIB, screenwriter (D’argent et de sang, Dans l’ombre, Diamant Brut, etc.); Fanny FROMENTAL, Literary Adaptations Executive, Studiocanal Stories; Carole LE BERRE, Program Advisor, Fiction Unit, France Télévision; Xavier LEHERPEUR, Journalist, Film and TV Series Critic (France Inter); Véra PELTEKIAN, Vice President of French Original Productions, HBO Max, Warner Media International – Learn more about the jury
The 4-handed Polar
Among the highlights of this edition, we include the presentation of the 4-handed Polar. A collaborative writing project between two authors, one French and the other from a crime town, their 4-handed thrillers already form a collection with the complicity of Points editions.
In 2025, Polar à 4 mains was the result of a collaboration between France and Italy, in which French novelist Michèle Pedinielli and Italian author Valerio Varesi took turns writing a story set in Lyon and Milan.
Entitled Les Contrebandiers (The Smugglers), this polyphonic novel revolves around a mysterious investigation in which cigarette smuggling and human trafficking are closely linked…
During Polar Connection, a meeting with the authors, editors, and translator is planned to discuss their creative process and their perceptions of borders, which are central to their story.
Find the details of the Polar 4 hands 2024, Le Steve McQueen, as well as the archives of projects from previous years on the page The international festival.
This project benefits from the support provided by the French Institute / City and Metropolis of Lyon agreement.
The archives
- Polar Connection Program 2025
- Polar en Séries 2025 booklet
- Polar Connection Program 2024
- Polar en Séries 2024 booklet
- Polar Connection Program 2023
- Polar en Séries 2023 booklet
- Polar Connection Program 2022
- Polar en Séries 2022 booklet
- Polar Connection Program 2021
- Polar en Séries 2021 booklet
- Polar Connection Program 2020
- Polar en Séries 2020 booklet
- Polar Connection Program 2019
- Polar en Séries 2019 booklet
- Polar Connection Program 2018
- Polar en Séries 2018 booklet
- Polar Connection Program 2017
- Polar Connection Program 2016





