The Institut français and the Institut français du Japon have officially announced the winners of the Villa Kujoyama residency program for 2027. Sixteen artists, creators, and researchers will be selected for a residency in Kyoto lasting between four to six months. The program received 250 applications from 274 artists, with the call for submissions open to French or foreign artists living in France for at least five years, or Japanese artists collaborating with those living in France for the same period. Applicants needed to submit an original and unique research project that required a stay in Japan. The program also allowed artists to apply in pairs with scientists. In the field of Literature, the winners are Caroline Lunoir for her project Polyphonie d'espoirs, which will take place over four months, and Rebeka Warrior for Toutes les voix, a six-month residency. The pre-selection committee included Adèle Fremolle, director of the Villa Kujoyama, as well as representatives from the Institut français, the French Ministry of Culture, and the Institut français du Japon. Experts from both France and Japan, including writer and professor Michael Ferrier from the University of Tokyo, were also involved. The final jury included Samson Sylvain, cultural attaché and head of the artistic pole at the Institut français du Japon, representing the French Embassy in Japan; Adèle Fremolle, director of the Villa Kujoyama; Hannah Loué, head of the Residences Pole; Julie Ferrif, project manager for residences; Corinne Sentou, mission officer for economy and outreach; Nicolas Vergneau, mission officer for residence policy and cross-cutting support programs; Léa Poirier, representing the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs; and Aya Soejima, an independent live performance expert. The call for applications for 2028 residencies will open early in 2027, with Julia Dartois, the new director of the Villa Kujoyama, leading the final jury. Julia Dartois, who took office in September 2026, previously worked at the Musée national Picasso-Paris, the French May Arts Festival in Hong Kong, and the Fondation Fiminco in Romainville. She later became director of the Magasins Généraux in Pantin and joined the French cultural network in Japan as a cultural attaché at the Institut français du Kansai. The article also reported on the deaths of several notable figures in literature, including Janine Boissard, Peter May, Joshua Cassara, Rodolphe, Jean-Paul Desprat, and Annie Dillard. Additionally, the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA) in Paris announced a program to commemorate the legacy of poet Mahmoud Darwich, running from September 25 to 27, 2026, in partnership with the Georges-Pompidou Center. The program includes cultural activities across fifteen cities in France and abroad, celebrating Darwich's work and promoting cultural diversity. The Société des gens de lettres (SGDL) welcomed Isabelle Berneron as the new head of its literary prizes and creation grants, and the death of Catherine Ringer, who helped bring the poetry of Alice Mendelson into the public eye, was also reported. Other notable events included the transfer of Günter Grass's global rights to S. Fischer, the death of Shin'ichi Abe, a master of "manga of the self," and the passing of Louis Constantin, the designer known for his work on "Biblio." The article also covered the launch of new literary initiatives, such as the "Éclairage" collection by Éditions du Félin, and the reorganization of Hachette Livre's international governance starting in 2027.