Étrange Grande Festival Cancelled

The Étrange Grande genre literature festival has cancelled its upcoming fifth edition. The event was scheduled for September 19 and 20 in Hettange-Grande, Moselle.

Organisers announced the cancellation on their Instagram page on August 27. They cited developments around the event, messages containing insults, threats, and violence received via various channels, and the risk of tensions during the event itself. The festival team expressed its "profound sadness."

"In the current environment, holding an event of this scale (150 authors, 7,000 visitors) no longer seems possible for our small team of volunteers," the statement explained. The volunteers had been invested for months and were severely tested by recent circumstances.

Political Pressures and Withdrawals

The decision follows several days of tension. This stemmed from the festival's inclusion of author Christophe Dubourg. Dubourg has been published, among other publishers, by Magnus. This publishing house is reputed for its proximity to the far right.

Several invited authors announced they would not participate in an event welcoming this publisher. They withdrew from the programming. An initial statement from organisers in the middle of the week failed to calm the situation. It stated they would not remove Christophe Dubourg from the program but that "no book edited by Magnus will be present and sold at the fair."

"For several days, the event has been the subject of political stances and pressures," said Roland Balcerzak, mayor of Hettange-Grande, to the regional media La Semaine. He stated the situation involved activists from radically antagonistic political currents. The mayor explained the level of tension and threat was now deemed incompatible with the serene and secure holding of the event.

Festival Scope and Lost Edition

Created in 2022, Étrange Grande was organised with the Hettange-Grande town hall and the community of communes of Cattenom and environs. It was dedicated to imaginative literature, crime fiction, horror, and romance.

The 2026 edition was to be themed around adventure and piracy. It was set to bring together more than 140 authors and illustrators at the town's omnisports hall. The guest of honour was to be Pascale Quiviger. Entry was free, with numerous workshops, cosplay contests, and literary prizes. The festival attracted over 7,000 visitors in 2023, with 5,000 book sales. This year's event will not take place.