France-Morocco Writing Marathon 2026: A Celebration of Literary Talent
The 2026 France-Morocco Writing Marathon took place on March 28, 2026, in Martres-Tolosane, offering participants an exhilarating opportunity to craft a short story within a challenging seven-hour timeframe. This event, which mirrored the excitement of a competitive contest, garnered significant interest in both France and Morocco, showcasing the power of collaboration across borders. In France, two writing venues were made available: the Azéma Hall in Martres-Tolosane and the Saint Exupéry space at the Radisson Blu hotel in Blagnac, thanks to the efforts of Madame Saint Martin, who heads the Saint Exupéry Foundation in Toulouse.
This year saw a remarkable increase in participants, with the number nearly doubling from 12 last year to 23 this year, including four young writers. At the Martres-Tolosane venue alone, 15 writers gathered to embrace the challenge of producing a short story in just seven hours. Overall, the event attracted 92 participants across both countries, representing a growth of nearly 15%. Now, the jury faces the challenging task of reading and grading all the submissions to determine the winners. Participants are categorized into two groups: youth and adults, with further divisions based on whether French is their first language or a foreign language.
The awards ceremony is set to take place in the fall at two locations: one at L’Envol des Pionniers in Montaudran, sponsored by the Saint Exupéry Foundation, and the other in Casablanca, backed by the French Institute. Notably, this year, in collaboration with the "Young Writer" prize association, young participants who competed in the writing marathon will have the option to refine their stories further and submit them to this prestigious competition. This initiative marks a beautiful continuation of a project organized jointly by the Culturales Commingeoises in Martres-Tolosane and L’Moutalâte Space in Marrakech, fostering a vibrant literary culture.
As reported by ladepeche.fr.
