EVENT DESCRIPTION
To mark the 120th anniversary of the death of Jules Verne, the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macao and the Alliance Française de Hong Kong are organizing the Jules Verne Festival from October 15 to December 5, featuring literary, educational and cultural events to pay tribute to his work.
Born in Nantes and died in Amiens at the age of 77, Jules Verne (1828-1905) is the most translated French writer in the world. He was also one of the first French writers to be translated into Chinese. Around the World in 80 Days reached Chinese readers as early as 1900. After studying law and pursuing a career in finance, Jules Verne began writing plays, but it was with his first adventure novel, Five Weeks in a Balloon (1863), that he achieved success, quickly followed by Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1864). Passionate about scientific publications, Jules Verne drew inspiration from them from the outset, thanks in particular to the advice of his publisher, Pierre-Jules Hetzel. As a member of the Geographical Society, he also published works in this field, while creating links between science and literature in his stories.
Jules Verne was not an inventor but a visionary who accurately anticipated the technical progress of the 20th century: space and interplanetary travel (From the Earth to the Moon, 1865), artificial satellites (The Begum’s Fortune, 1879), exploration of the depths of the sea and the earth (Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, 1869) and many others. His Extraordinary Voyages series comprises sixty books and short stories, including all his well-known novels and a few lesser-known works such as The Adventures of Captain Hatteras (1866), which recounts an expedition to the North Pole, A Floating City (1871) and The Tribulations of a Chinese Man in China (1879). He continues to influence many authors today and to inspire film and theatre adaptations.
It should also be noted that Jules Verne like Ferdinand de Lesseps, Louis Pasteur and Ernest Renan, was one of the founding members of the Alliance Française in Paris.
Jules Verne died on 24 March 1905, but his legacy lives on, making him a key figure in adventure and science fiction literature.
EVENTS (full programme available here)
April and The Extraordinary World
Friday 5 December, 3:30 – 5:15pm
Grand Theatre, Hong Kong City Hall
Improvisation show with Mo Man Tai
Head to the Fringe and join the Mo Man Tai improvisation company for an extraordinary journey aboard the Nautilus!
Inspired by the stories of Jules Verne and guided by your ideas, our improvisers will create a unique show just for you. An unexpected crew and an improvised journey in which emotions, laughter and surprises await you at every turn! Note: performance in French. To register: here
Saturday, 15 November, 7:00 pm
The Fringe Club
Atelier: Découverte de l’improvisation théâtrale
Note: workshop in French. To register: here
Saturday, 15 November, 2:00 pm
The Fringe Club
Jules Verne’s boardgame afternoon!
Come to the Alliance Française media library (Jordan Centre) from 2pm to 7pm to (re)discover the world of Jules Verne through the board games we have selected for the occasion: Nautilus Island, 80 Days, Michel Strogoff, Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Jules Verne has inspired not only filmmakers, but also many boardgame designers!
Whether you are an experienced player or just curious, enjoy the pleasure of rolling the dice, playing cards and devising strategies to win. Bring your friends or make new ones, the event is free and open to all: French speakers, French learners or simply fans of games or Jules Verne! To register: here
Saturday, 8 November, 2pm
AF Library, Jordan Centre
Exhibition at Hong Kong Central Library
Monday, 20 October – Tuesday, 25 November
Central Library of Hong Kong, 66 Causeway Road, Causeway Bay
Guided Tour of the Little Museum of the World
Discover or rediscover the Little Museum of the World as you’ve never seen it before, through a guided tour that will take you in the footsteps of Jules Verne, from dinosaurs to man’s first steps on the moon!
Tour in French (2pm-4pm): register here.
Tour in English (4:30pm-6:30pm): register here.
Saturday, 18 October
