Centre Europeén de Poésie d’Avignon
The Centre Europeén de Poésie d’Avignon, at 6, rue Figuière in Avignon, is one of those charming French spaces tucked away that you never hear about. The directrice, Madame Marie Jouannic, simply knows everyone who is a major force in contemporary poetry. AS a friend of Lokenath Bhattacharya, James Emanual Georges Perec, and Cesar Aimé and countless other twentieth- and twenty-first century poets, Mme. Jouannic has turned her passion for modern poetry into a vital force for the city.
The space comprises a theatre, gallery, bookstore, café, exhibition space, and a summer restaurant, as well as the archives of hundreds of poems, in which the Centre presented visiting poets over its lifetime with a sheet of paper, and the poet has created an original work for the Centre. During the Theatre festival of Avignon each summer, the centre holds staged works having to do with poetry, and the rest of the year holds concerts and readings.
The Centre is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from noon to 6 p.m., and on Thursdays from noon to 9 p.m. Admission is free except for special events.