The 11th Nuits de la lecture (Nights of Reading), organized by the French National Book Center (CNL), will take place from January 20 to 24, 2027. The event invites the public to participate in thousands of activities centered around the theme of "Childhood." This theme spans across literatures and cultures, influencing various genres and prompting reflection on our origins, personal development, and relationship with the world. Writing about childhood often involves revisiting a foundational experience, from which authors draw intense narrative material. Through diverse portrayals—ranging from the child as a hero to the child as a witness or victim—various perspectives on the adult world emerge, sometimes observed, questioned, or challenged. Childhood, or even childhoods, as each author has their own way of depicting it, is a rich and varied subject. The CNL has compiled a collection of classic and contemporary texts centered on the theme of "Childhood." Designed as an adaptable tool for different needs—such as reading aloud excerpts or theatrical performances—it includes texts selected by around fifteen authors. Among them are Timothée de Fombelle, Susie Morgenstern, Blandine Rinkel, Martin Boujol, and many others, who will share their personal favorites and the reasons behind their choices. The CNL will also provide a bibliography of fifty titles related to the theme of this 11th edition, blending genres and eras, and highlighting authors with diverse universes and sensibilities. These resources will be available on the Nuits de la lecture website in early November. Pierre-Emmanuel Lyet, the creator of the 2027 Nuits de la lecture poster, graduated from the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. His films, including Parade, Pierre et le Loup, and La Nuit américaine d’Angélique—which was nominated for a César in 2016—have won awards at numerous festivals, including Annecy and Berlin. His drawings are regularly published in French and international publications such as Libération, Le Monde, The New Yorker, Die Zeit, and The New York Times, as well as in children’s books and art exhibitions. In 2019, his work was highlighted at the Une Saison Graphique festival in Le Havre and later displayed at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In 2023, he worked as the artistic director and animator for the film Àma Gloria, directed by Marie Amachoukeli. He now focuses mainly on writing and illustrating his own books and films. “I wanted to represent childhood as a journey, with the book as the vessel. Through reading, anything becomes possible: you can swing on the Moon, among the stars, at the edge of the universe. It's the childhood of all possibilities, of dreams and escape. Childhood as a promise,” he says. Registrations for the 2027 edition are now open. The main platform connecting organizers, professionals, and the general public, the website nuitsdelalecture.fr, is already accessible. Organizations can register their event(s) and order their communication kit, which includes tools to prepare literary events. In 2026, 8,550 events were held in more than 4,300 locations, demonstrating the commitment of all stakeholders in the book and reading sectors. Librarians, teachers, booksellers, literary events, and book mediators play a crucial role in expanding this national event in France and in about thirty countries.