Pom Madendjian is the editor-in-chief of La Gazette, the only magazine in the country published exclusively in French, and founder of the Festival International des Auteurs Francophone en Malaisie (Photo: Pom Madendjian)
Options: Felicitations on the second edition of the Festival International des Auteurs Francophone en Malaisie. What inspired you to set up the fair in the first place?
Pom Madendjian: I am a small-time French author with my first novel published in 2018 and very passionate about culture and literature. I actually launched my first French book fair in 2022 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, which was a success. Because of that, I was contacted by Rencontre des Auteurs Francophone, the world’s leading international French-speaking literary network (it has nearly 400 authors in around 50 countries), to represent them in Asia.
After moving to Kuala Lumpur that year, I quickly realised it was very difficult to find French books. I also learnt that, surprisingly enough, French was the second foreign language — not counting English, Mandarin and Tamil, obviously — taught in Malaysian schools after Japanese and there are about 20,000 French speakers here. This gave me the conviction to set up the fair in KL. I was quickly supported by the French Embassy, Alliance Française and Chamber of Commerce France Malaysia, as well as many private French companies or companies whose managers are Francophiles.
Last year’s fair attracted more than 800 visitors and sold over 2,000 books. What are you expecting this year?
It is, of course, always a surprise, but this year we are counting on 1,000 visitors during the open day on March 23. Around 700 additional people should also be attending as a result of the other partnerships we have set up.
The fair’s theme is ‘Animals of Malaysia’. Tell us about it.
We were looking for a theme that would touch both adults and children. It is also a current topic which directly concerns the country. Animals were an obvious choice, being [a popular topic] in literature and children’s books and a real environmental issue for Malaysia.
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What are some of the fair highlights?
The first edition in 2024 was really a test, and focused on a single day open to the public. This year, the fair has expanded. The open day on Sunday will welcome 27 authors (compared with 24 last year), many of whom have won numerous literary prizes. More than 10 conferences and workshops will also be offered to the public. A delegation of Mah Meri people will come to explain their culture, in which animals and creatures occupy an important space.
We have also dedicated one day of workshops between authors and Malaysian learners — both children and adults — from the Alliance Française KL on Saturday, and set up another full day of exchanges between authors and students from the French School of Kuala Lumpur (LFKL). This will happen on the Monday following the fair. Finally, we have partnered with Alliance Française Penang to bring three of our authors to the island for a day of more conferences and workshops solely for its French-speaking public. All in, the fair will take place at three venues over three days.
You will also welcome Wilfried N’Sonde as guest of honour.
Wilfried has an extraordinary personality as an adventurer always ready to travel and meet his audience, especially young readers. He has received 17 prestigious literary awards and is unanimously acclaimed as an international French-speaking author. His penultimate book, Héliosphéra, deals with the issue of marine microplastics and the deterioration of the oceans. We are so lucky he accepted our invitation.
Tell us also about the Pantoun Tree.
The Pantoun Tree was launched last year in partnership with Pantun Sayang, the French Pantoun Association represented by Georges Voisset, author, poet and a great specialist in pantun, the Malay world’s famous little poem of four lines. He will come from France especially for the fair. All public and private schools in Malaysia that teach the French language in their curriculum have been invited to participate in this competition that will select the three most beautiful poems and drawings among the hundreds we receive. All the drawings with their texts will be hung on a huge cardboard tree, where visitors can come and admire them throughout the day.
What are you reading right now?
I am a fairly voracious reader, averaging two to three books per week. At the moment, I am exclusively reading the books of the authors who will attend the fair. So, my pace is less intense than usual, as event preparation currently takes up all my time. But I appreciate this [change in routine], as it allows me to get out of my reading habits. I am a very big fan of detective novels — particularly by masters such as Franck Thilliez, Michel Bussi, Bernard Minier, Pierre Lemaitre — and I admit, with a little shame, that I consume this genre [crime fiction and thrillers] most, out of pure comfort.
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Do you have a favourite book?
This is the question all readers dread because it is unbearable to have to choose only one! If pressed, I would say Les Fleurs du Mal by Charles Baudelaire. It is a marvel of pure poetry that is almost two centuries old, yet has not aged a day. I must also say Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. This book is absolutely universal, oscillating between a children’s story, deep philosophy and poetry.
What are you listening to right now?
International news. But I really should stop and take refuge in books, more than ever.
Tell us about Paris, where you are from.
Despite all its faults and its Parisians, Paris remains an extraordinary city. Every time I go, I can’t resist the pains au chocolat, buttery croissants and apple turnovers in the morning. Luckily, I never stay too long!
Where would you send us for a literary experience of France?
In Paris, I would recommend the Quartier Latin in the 5th arrondissement. You must not miss the famous bookstore, Shakespeare & Company. I would do a tour of the Panthéon, where many of our great authors are buried, such as Victor Hugo, Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile Zola and Alexandre Dumas. And don’t forget the Père Lachaise Cemetery, where the tombs of Marcel Proust, Guillaume Apollinaire, Colette and Jean de La Fontaine are.
I would also visit Maison de Victor Hugo in Place des Vosges and the Musée de la Vie Romantique, dedicated to 19th century writers. And why not the Balzac House in Passy, too? To the west, in Normandy and Brittany, you must visit Combourg Castle, birthplace of [prominent French writer, diplomat and historian] François-René de Chateaubriand and where a famous ghost lives. Also go to Étretat and its fabulous cliffs, the source of inspiration for Maurice Leblanc and his character Arsène Lupin. Of course, there are hundreds of other places to send you to, but start with these.
The Festival International des Auteurs Francophone en Malaisie will be held from 9am to 6pm at Alliance Française KL on March 23.
This article first appeared on Mar 17, 2025 in The Edge Malaysia.
