Library nights · Marseille
25 upcoming free programs at 5 library venues in Marseille — book clubs, talks, workshops and more. No booking for most, and nobody asks why you came on your own.
Venue by venue
Bibliothèque de l'Alcazar (15) · Bibliothèque de Castellane (3) · Bibliothèque du Panier (3) · Médiathèque Salim-Hatubou (3) · Bibliothèque du Merlan (1)
The authors of a new graphic novel about historian and Resistance member Marc Bloch discuss how to tell his story in comics, joined by Suzette Bloch and a historian. The afternoon meeting at the Alcazar library is open to the public and invites questions from the audience.
On Wednesday 18 November 2026 at 17:00 the Bibliothèque de l'Alcazar in Marseille hosts a round table titled Santé mentale: analyse d'un concept à la mode, organised by the Marseille libraries with the Amis du Monde diplomatique. The listing notes that mental health is a national cause in 2025 and 2026 and asks what the difficulty of caring for psychological suffering reveals about society. The speakers are Roland Gori, psychoanalyst and honorary professor of clinical psychopathology, Martin Jolivalt, a clinical psychologist working in child protection, Angélique Mounier-Kuhn, a journalist at Le Monde diplomatique, and Sabrina Rouigui, a clinical psychologist and jurist. Two of them co-wrote an article on psychowashing. The session runs from 17:00 to 19:00. The listing does not give a price. A talk with several speakers is easy to attend alone, since the audience is there to listen and think about the same questions. «Que révèle de notre société la difficulté à prendre en charge la souffrance psychique ?» Starts 17:00, ends about 19:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque l'Alcazar - Ville de Marseille (open data). The listing names four speakers and gives the session as 17:00 to 19:00, without a price.
On Thursday 19 November 2026 at 17:30 the Bibliothèque de l'Alcazar in Marseille hosts a public discussion titled Informer en démocratie, on the responsibilities of European media today. It is an event of the EUNIC Marseille network, proposed by the Istituto Italiano di Cultura and the Goethe-Institut Marseille together with the city libraries and the journalism school of Aix-Marseille. The listing says the evening will focus on press freedom and the fight against disinformation, with experienced professionals from communication and journalism. The guests are Renate Schroeder, director of the European Federation of Journalists, Alexandre Joux of the journalism and communication school, and Frédéric Lemaître of Le Monde. They will discuss the freedom to criticise and investigate, source checking and conduct towards the media, and answer questions from the audience. The event runs from 17:30 to 22:00. The listing does not give a price. A talk with questions from the floor is easy to attend alone, since the audience shares the subject. «la liberté de la presse et la lutte contre la désinformation» Starts 17:30, ends about 22:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque l'Alcazar - Ville de Marseille (open data). The listing names the speakers and the EUNIC Marseille partners but gives no price and no booking link.
On Friday 20 November 2026 at 15:00 the Bibliothèque de l'Alcazar in Marseille, at 58 cours Belsunce, shows the film Showing up as an event of the Marseille libraries. The film is directed by Kelly Reichardt and stars Michelle Williams, Judd Hirsch, Amanda Plummer and John Magaro. It is a 2022 American production lasting 1 hour 48 minutes, shown in the original version with French subtitles. The story follows an artist in the weeks before the opening of her exhibition, her daily life and her relationships with other people, as the chaos of her life becomes her source of inspiration. The listing quotes a review in Le Monde saying the director paints her own self-portrait and pokes fun at the art world. The session is listed until 18:00. The listing does not give a price. A film screening in a library is easy to attend alone, since everyone watches quietly together. «le quotidien d’une artiste et son rapport aux autres. Le chaos de sa vie va devenir sa source d’inspiration» Starts 15:00, ends about 18:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque l'Alcazar - Ville de Marseille (open data). The listing names the film, cast, running time and subtitles but does not state a price.
On Saturday 21 November 2026 at 10:30 the Bibliothèque de l'Alcazar in Marseille hosts a lecture titled La condition de l'exilé, as part of the events of the Marseille libraries. The listing says Alexis Nouss, professor emeritus of comparative literature, will present his essay La condition de l'exilé, penser les migrations contemporaines, published by the Éditions de la Maison des Sciences de l'Homme. The event is a collaboration with La Cimade and the Migrant'scène festival. It runs from 10:30 to 12:30. The listing does not give a price and does not mention a booking arrangement. A lecture like this is easy to attend alone, since the audience gathers to listen to one speaker on a shared subject, and questions and conversation can follow naturally with other people in the room. «Alexis Nouss, professeur émérite de littérature comparée, nous présentera La condition de l'exilé» Starts 10:30, ends about 12:30. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque l'Alcazar - Ville de Marseille (open data). The listing names the speaker and the partners and gives hours from 10:30 to 12:30, with no price.
On Saturday 21 November 2026 at 17:00 the Bibliothèque de l'Alcazar in Marseille hosts an event of the city libraries titled Et si la Méditerranée avait des droits ? The listing explains that pollution, climate warming and overexploitation endanger the sea, and that one idea is to give it a recognised legal status. Such recognition, it says, would let lawyers, associations and states act on its behalf to defend its ecosystems and limit pollution. The event is a dialogue between Victor David, a researcher at the IMBE, the Mediterranean institute of biodiversity and marine ecology, and Virginie Anouch Kechmanian, a multidisciplinary artist, and it is held in partnership with the IRD. The listing does not give a price. It gives the time as running from 17:00 to 19:30. A library talk like this is easy to attend alone, since the format is listening and discussion, and people come for the subject. «Pollution massive, réchauffement climatique et surexploitation des ressources : la mer Méditerranée est aujourd’hui en danger.» Starts 17:00, ends about 19:30. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque l'Alcazar - Ville de Marseille (open data). The listing names a dialogue between Victor David and Virginie Anouch Kechmanian, in partnership with the IRD, and gives no price.
On Tuesday 24 November 2026 at 18:00 the Alcazar library in Marseille holds a ciné philo night. It screens Je verrai toujours vos visages (I Will Always See Your Faces), the 2023 film by Jeanne Herry that runs 1 h 58, and then opens a debate with philosophy teachers. The film follows restorative justice, which since 2014 in France lets victims and offenders meet in supervised settings with trained professionals and volunteers. The story passes through anger and hope, silences and words, and sometimes trust restored. The listing gives no price and no booking details, so check the library page before you go. The evening lasts about three hours, to roughly 21:00. Film plus debate is a classic format for someone alone, since the discussion starts from a shared experience. «Séance suivie d'un débat avec des professeurs de philosophie.» Starts 18:00, ends about 21:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque l'Alcazar - Ville de Marseille (open data).
On Wednesday 25 November 2026 at 14:00 the Bibliothèque de l'Alcazar in Marseille shows A Scanner Darkly, a film by Richard Linklater, as an event of the Marseille libraries. The listing credits Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder and Rory Cochrane in the cast, and gives the origin as the United States, 2006, with a running time of 1h40. The story is set in a near future in which America has lost the war on drugs. Bob Arctor, an undercover agent, investigates the spread of a new, highly addictive substance called Substance D. As he sinks into the world of users, his own identity begins to dissolve between paranoia, a double life and a loss of reality. The listing calls it a psychedelic thriller animated with rotoscoping that explores addiction, surveillance and the fragility of the mind. The listing does not give a price. A film screening in a library is easy to enjoy alone, since the audience simply sits and watches together. «Un thriller psychédélique animé en rotoscopie qui explore l’addiction, la surveillance et la fragilité de l’esprit.» Starts 14:00, ends about 16:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèques de territoire - Ville de Marseille (open data). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing gives the film details and the 14:00 start, with a running time of 1h40, but no price.
On Wednesday 25 November 2026 at 17:00 the Bibliothèque de l'Alcazar in Marseille screens Un grand marché au bord de l'eau, as part of the Escales INA series and its cycle Croquis du Liban. The documentary was made in 1966 by Hubert Knapp and Jean-Claude Bringuier and runs for 53 minutes. According to the listing, it is the third sketch of Lebanon in the cycle, in which the two filmmakers try to understand why Lebanon, and first of all Beirut, became such a crossroads of world trade. Several Lebanese businessmen tell of their rise and say how much commerce is at the heart of the identity of the country, while the listing adds that the Lebanese miracle remains fragile. The session is listed from 17:00 to 18:00 at 58 cours Belsunce. The listing does not give a price. A film screening in a library is easy to attend alone, since everyone watches the same film in the same room. «Plusieurs hommes d'affaires libanais racontent leur parcours ascensionnel et disent combien le commerce est au centre même de l'identité du pays.» Starts 17:00, ends about 18:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque l'Alcazar - Ville de Marseille (open data). The listing names the film, its directors and its 53 minute length and does not state a price.
On Wednesday 25 November 2026 at 18:00 the Bibliothèque de l'Alcazar in Marseille hosts a talk titled L'héritage de Castel : le nouvel opéra municipal (1919-1924). It is presented by the Académie de Marseille as part of its tercentenary and listed as an event of the Marseille libraries. The listing recalls that on Thursday 13 November 1919 the eighteenth-century Grand-Théâtre was ravaged by a fire, and that the project of the architect Gaston Castel was chosen for its reconstruction, producing a building that joins modernity with classical heritage. The talk looks back at this architectural adventure, at the history of the Opera, its decoration, and the artists who contributed to its renewal. The speaker is the art historian Emmanuel Laugier. The session runs from 18:00 to 19:00 at 58 cours Belsunce. The listing does not give a price. A library talk is easy to attend alone, since people come to listen and ask questions about the same subject. «On revient ici sur cette aventure architecturale, sur l'histoire de l'Opéra, ses décors, et les artistes qui ont contribué à son renouveau.» Starts 18:00, ends about 19:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque l'Alcazar - Ville de Marseille (open data). The listing gives the talk as part of the tercentenary of the Académie de Marseille and does not state a price.
Bring whatever you have enjoyed lately — a book, film, series or manga — and swap recommendations with other regulars at the city's central library. It is an informal round-table, so you can simply turn up and listen before joining in.
Over coffee, participants philosophise together on a theme that changes each session; this time it is freedom — does free will exist, or is everything determined? It is an open discussion where you can speak up or just listen, which makes it a good way to meet curious people on your own. The listing does not mention a fee.
On Saturday 12 December 2026 at 17:00 the Bibliothèque de l'Alcazar in Marseille hosts an event titled Vivre en harmonie avec les chauves-souris, listed as an event of the Marseille libraries. The listing presents bats as queens of the night that are both discreet and little known. By discovering their ecology, participants can correct common misconceptions about them. The programme covers the species found in the region, the places where they live and the threats that weigh on them. It also explains how to encourage their presence, so that these animals, called chiroptera, hold no more mystery and can be seen in a new light. The listing gives the time as 17:00 to 19:00 and does not give a price. A talk on a nature subject is easy to attend alone, since the audience shares the same curiosity and questions come easily. «Les Chauves-souris, reines de la nuit, sont aussi discrètes que méconnues.» Starts 17:00, ends about 19:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque l'Alcazar - Ville de Marseille (open data). The listing gives a 17:00 to 19:00 time slot and does not state a price.
On Wednesday 16 December 2026 at 16:00 the Bibliothèque de l'Alcazar in Marseille hosts a reading club, listed by the library network of the city of Marseille. The listing invites participants to share the things they love: each person brings whatever they like, whether a book, a film, a series or a manga, and then takes part in an exchange with the group about it. The tone of the invitation is informal and open, with no set text to prepare. The session runs from 16:00 to 17:30 at 58 cours Belsunce, in the first arrondissement. The listing does not give a price, and it does not mention any booking arrangement, so it is worth checking with the library before going. A club where everyone brings a personal favourite is easy to join alone, since sharing recommendations gives each newcomer something to talk about straight away. «Tu as envie de partager tes coups de cœur ? Apporte ce que tu veux» Starts 16:00, ends about 17:30. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque l'Alcazar - Ville de Marseille (open data). The record gives the time as 16:00 to 17:30 and does not state a price.
In these free photography evenings created and moderated by artist Florine Thiebaud, two invited women photographers based in or linked to Marseille present their work, influences and creative process. Each presentation is followed by an exchange with the audience. The open discussion makes it easy to talk to others who come alone.
On Tuesday 17 November 2026 at 10:00 the Bibliothèque de Castellane in Marseille holds an Atelier reliure, a bookbinding workshop. It is presented as an event of the Marseille libraries. Guided step by step by a bookbinder who also leads workshops, participants learn to try simple bookbinding techniques. The listing says the workshop is for adults and welcomes all levels, so no previous experience is needed. Booking is handled by the library, which gives a telephone number, 04.13.94.81.90, and the email address bibliotheque.castellane@marseille.fr for registration. The listing does not give a price. The workshop runs from 10:00 to 12:00 at the library on Place Castellane. A craft session like this is easy to join alone, because the group works side by side on the same small project and the leader guides everyone. «venez vous initier à des techniques de reliure simples. Pour adultes, tous niveaux.» Starts 10:00, ends about 12:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèques de territoire - Ville de Marseille (open data). The listing names the venue, says the workshop is for adults of all levels, and gives hours of 10:00 to 12:00.
On Wednesday 18 November 2026 at 18:00 the Castellane library in Marseille meets for Station spatiale Lecture, a reading club for lovers of the imaginary. Members share what they have been reading, from dystopian novels and space opera to cyberpunk, speculative short stories, comics and science fiction poetry. The listing says that anyone who likes possible futures, strange worlds and bold ideas will find something to enjoy. It gives no price and lists a phone number and an email for the library, so check the page or call before you go. The meeting lasts about two hours, to roughly 20:00. A book club with a clear theme is made for someone alone: the topic is the conversation starter, and you can listen first and bring a title for the next time. «partager vos découvertes littéraires avec d'autres passionnés de l'imaginaire» Starts 18:00, ends about 20:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèques de territoire - Ville de Marseille (open data).
On Wednesday 18 November 2026 at 18:00 the Bibliothèque de Castellane in Marseille hosts Station Spatiale Lecture, an event from the Marseille libraries network. The listing describes it as a reading club where people share their literary discoveries with other enthusiasts, and this meeting is a special science-fiction edition. The library is on Place Castellane, in the 6th arrondissement. The session is listed as running from 18:00 to 20:00, so it lasts about two hours in the early evening. The listing does not give a price. For contact, it provides a telephone number and an email address at the library, which readers can use to ask about taking part. A book club is easy to join alone, because the whole point is to talk with people you have not met about the books you have enjoyed, and the shared genre gives everyone an easy starting point. «Rejoignez notre club de lecture pour partager vos découvertes littéraires avec d'autres passionnés. Édition spéciale science-fiction.» Starts 18:00, ends about 20:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèques de territoire - Ville de Marseille (open data). The listing names a special science-fiction edition and gives phone and email contacts but no price.
On Thursday 19 November 2026 the Bibliothèque du Panier in Marseille runs an introduction to role-playing games, described in the listing as the best-known tabletop game, the one with dungeons and dragons in it. The session is an original one-shot, which means a single self-contained adventure played in one sitting, so nobody needs to have played before and nobody has to come back next week. The listing is brief and does not give the number of places, the age range or whether booking is required, so it is worth asking the library before you go. The page is in French. A beginners' table is a very friendly way to meet people alone: the game is built on everyone taking turns and helping each other out of trouble, and a guide leads the story so you can simply join in. The session starts at 18:00 and the end time is estimated. «Initiation au Jeu de Rôle : One Shot original» Starts 18:00, ends about 20:30. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèques de territoire - Ville de Marseille (open data).
On Tuesday 24 November 2026 at 17:30 the Bibliothèque du Panier in Marseille holds Panier à Bulles, an event of the Marseille libraries. The listing describes it as the monthly reading club dedicated to comics and manga. Participants are invited to swap what they have been reading, share their favourites, and discover themed presentations about the world of the ninth art, the French name for comics. The session runs from 17:30 to 19:00 at Place Bargemon in the 2nd arrondissement. The listing does not give a price, and it names no booking arrangement, so it is worth asking the library before going. A reading club is easy to join alone, since everyone comes to talk about books and the conversation starts from whatever you have read lately, so there is always something to say. «Notre club de lecture mensuel spécial BD/Mangas ! Venez échanger vos lectures, vos coups de cœur» Starts 17:30, ends about 19:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèques de territoire - Ville de Marseille (open data). The listing describes a monthly comics and manga reading club and gives the hours as 17:30 to 19:00 without naming a price.
On Tuesday 15 December 2026 at 18:00 the Bibliothèque du Panier in Marseille hosts Le Quiz BD du Panier, a quiz about comics. The listing invites visitors to test themselves, have fun and end a year of comics in style. People can play on their own or in a team, and the organisers promise a handful of prizes, joking that nobody should get too excited about them. It is an event of the Marseille libraries, organised by the Bibliothèques de territoire of the city. The listing does not give a price. Contact is possible by phone on 04 13 94 82 30 or by email to the library. The session runs from 18:00 to 19:30. Since the listing explicitly welcomes players who come solo, a comics quiz is an easy way to meet other readers and join a team on the spot. «Seul.e ou en équipe, de nombreux (enfin quelques) lots incroyables (vous enflammez pas trop non plus) à gagner !» Starts 18:00, ends about 19:30. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèques de territoire - Ville de Marseille (open data). The listing describes a comics quiz for individuals or teams and does not state a price.
On Tuesday 24 November 2026 at 10:00 the Médiathèque Salim-Hatubou in Marseille offers Soutien numérique, a digital support service run by the city libraries. The listing invites people who have computer difficulties to book an appointment with a digital mediator, who will help them find solutions as well as possible. Each session is individual and lasts one hour, within a morning slot that runs from 10:00 to 12:00. The library is at 1 rue des Frégates, 13015 Marseille. To book, the listing gives the library's email address and phone number, 04 13 94 83 90. The listing does not give a price. Because the help is a one-to-one appointment, it is simple to attend alone, and there is nothing to arrange with other people beforehand. You only bring your own question or device and talk it through with the mediator. «Prenez rendez-vous avec une médiatrice numérique qui vous accompagnera au mieux pour trouver des solutions» Starts 10:00, ends about 12:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèques de territoire - Ville de Marseille (open data). The listing describes one-hour individual sessions with a digital mediator, booked by email or phone, with no price given.
On Tuesday 8 December 2026 at 10:00 the Médiathèque Salim-Hatubou in Marseille offers Soutien numérique, a digital support service organised by the city's library network. The listing is addressed to people who run into computer difficulties and says they can book an appointment with a digital mediator, who will help them find solutions as well as possible. Each appointment is an individual session lasting one hour, and the morning slot listed runs from 10:00 to 12:00 at 1 rue des Frégates, in the 15th arrondissement. Appointments can be arranged by email at bibliotheque.salimhatubou@marseille.fr or by telephone on 04 13 94 83 90. The listing does not give a price. Since the help is one to one and centred on your own questions, it is entirely natural to attend alone and to bring only the device you need help with. «Vous rencontrez des difficultés informatiques ? Prenez rendez-vous avec une médiatrice numérique qui vous accompagnera au mieux pour trouver des solutions !» Starts 10:00, ends about 12:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèques de territoire - Ville de Marseille (open data). The record gives the time as 10:00 to 12:00, by appointment, and does not state a price.
The Salim-Hatubou library in northern Marseille brings out a selection of board games for a convivial afternoon of play, open to everyone. Drop in any time between two and five and join a table. The library gives a phone number for information, and sharing a game is an easy icebreaker during the school holidays.
Librarians host a chatty workshop for people learning French, with talk about books, music, travel, food and daily life. It is not a class and is meant for those who already have some French, so it is a friendly place to practise and meet others.
New in Marseille?
Phrases in the local language for your evening: Phrases for tonight · Book clubs and silent reading
Almost all of them. The 25 upcoming programs on this page are public library events in Marseille; most need no booking and no library card. Workshops with limited places say so on the official page.
Yes. Most people at library book clubs, talks and language cafés come alone, there is a host who starts the conversation, and nobody asks why you are there. Arrive a few minutes early.
Usually it is free: bring photo ID and a proof of address (a rental contract or a utility bill) to any branch. Rules differ per library, so check the branch page before you go.
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