Arles organizes important cultural events : book festivals at the library or at the Chapelle du Méjan Chapelle du Méjan, and the Literary Translation Seminar (Assises de la Traduction littéraire) at the Translator’s College (Collège des traducteurs). A Book Conservation Center specializes in saving and restoring old library books.
The publishing house Actes Sud, has set up shop since 1983 in the section of the city known as “Le Méjan”, on the Place Nina-Berberova, named for an author who was discovered by Actes Sud and who played an important role in the development of the company. Actes-Sud is 26 years old now and publishes a catalog of 5200 titles with 110 associates who often shuttle between Arles and Paris. The editors won top honors in France with the 2005 Prix Goncourt for Laurent Gaudé’s book “Le soleil des Scorta”.

Another specialized publishing house, Picquier editions, is also located in Arles. They publish mainly Asian literature from Japan, China, India, Vietnam, Corea . . . of different types (classical literature, whodunits, tales, eroticism...)
(contact : editions-philippepicquier@harmoniamundi.com).