In Paris, a literary autumn around Marcel Proust at Hôtel Littéraire Le Swann

The Hôtel Littéraire Le Swann pays tribute to Marcel Proust with two free exhibitions combining rare manuscripts and contemporary sculptures.

From October 9 to November 21, 2025, the Hôtel Littéraire Le Swann, in Paris’s 8th arrondissement, is hosting an exhibition of unpublished handwritten letters by Marcel Proust, from the collection of Jacques Letertre. This plunge into the author’s intimacy allows us to rediscover his pen through correspondence spanning from 1886 to 1921, addressed to key figures of his era.

Included are letters to her grandfather Nathé Weil, to the Comtesse de Chevigné – model for Oriane de Guermantes – and to filmmaker Jean Epstein. These documents touch on both the intimate and the literary: anecdotes about the stock market, a reflection on Paul Valéry, or his famous application for the Légion d’honneur. A unique showcase displays Le Lundi, a student magazine Proust contributed to at the Lycée Condorcet, recalling his student years in Paris.

Proustian sculptures: Marlène Burget between memory and modernity

As a continuation of this tribute, a second exhibition will run from November 12, 2025 to January 5, 2026. Artist Marlène Burget unveils resin sculptures inspired by the Proustian world. These works depict key episodes from À la recherche du temps perdu: Swann’s carriage, lunch at Madeleine Lemaire’s, and the young girls in bloom.

A bust of Marcel Proust created by the artist was also installed in the courtyard of the Lycée Condorcet, cementing a lasting link between the writer and the history of the Paris school.

A dense, free literary program

Several events round off the literary season. These include a lecture on Proust and his publishers by Pascal Fouché(October 9) and a reading of the correspondence between Proust and Geneviève Straus, performed by actor Ivan Morane(November 12). An evening tribute to Jacques Rivière, another key figure in the literary life of the time, is also scheduled for December 2.

A Proustian event in the heart of Paris

Available free of charge, this Proustian autumn will delight literary enthusiasts and the curious alike. It also explores the links between the Paris of the Belle Époque and the work of Marcel Proust, while discovering how his legacy continues to inspire contemporary creativity.

To extend the experience, discover other Proustian places, such as the Parisian salons frequented by the author or the historic addresses of his publishers.