Disoriental Wins Albertine Prize 2019

The 2019 Albertine Prize, a reader’s choice award for best French fiction in English, has just been awarded to author Négar Djavadi and translator Tina Kover for Disoriental (Europa Editions)!

The laureates received their award during a ceremony at Albertine on June 5, 2019 in the presence of co-chairs, translator and author Lydia Davis and TV personality and literary critic François Busnel. The ceremony was followed by a discussion with Négar Djavadi, Tina Kover and François Busnel, which you can stream anytime on Livestream.

Disoriental, Négar Djavadi’s brilliant début novel, is a kaleidoscopic tale intertwining family narratives, personal recollections and key moments of Iranian history, politics, and culture. Gracefully blending suspenseful family sagas into rich and complex coming of age stories, the book conveys a powerful reflection on the challenges that immigrants face when assimilating into a foreign culture. Order it online at Albertine.com or find it at the store.

The winning titles of Albertine’s inaugural Prix Jeunesse, a reader’s choice award for Francophone youth literature, were also announced on June 5. Click here to discover the winning books.

Négar Djavadi was born in Iran in 1969 to a family of intellectuals opposed to the regimes both of the Shah, then of Khomeini. She arrived in France at the age of eleven, having crossed the mountains of Kurdistan on horseback with her mother and sister. Djavadi is a screenwriter and lives in Paris.

Tina Kover has been a literary translator for over a decade, translating works of both classic and modern literature including Alexandre Dumas’s Georges, the Goncourt brothers’ Manette Salomon, and Mahir Guven’s Goncourt Prize-winning Older Brother. She studied French at the University of Denver and the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, and later worked in Prague teaching English as a foreign language. Her translation of Négar Djavadi’s Disoriental was a finalist for the National Book Award for Translated Literature in 2018 and the PEN Translation Prize in 2019.

Exceptional Closure: Tuesday, April 1st

Albertine will closed all day on Tuesday, April 1st, and will reopen on Thursday, April 3 at 10am for business as usual.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Happy readings!

Updated Store Hours

Please note that Albertine is now closed on Wednesdays. We are open Thursdays to Tuesdays, from 10am until 6pm.

Online shopping remains available.

We apologize for the inconvenience. 

Happy reading!

Albertine Book Club’s Winter/Spring 2025 Calendar

“The most fruitful and natural play of the mind, in my opinion, is conversation.” Michel de Montaigne (1533 – 1592)

This winter, we’re looking forward to a series of engaging conversations on Sister Deborah by Scholastique Mukasonga (Jordan Stump, Archipelago Books); The Propagandist by Cecile Desprairies (Natasha Lehrer, New Vessel Press); Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo (John Sturrock, Penguin Classic), On The Clock by Claire Baglin (Jordan Stump, New Directions) and Sad Tiger by Neige Sinno (Natasha Lehrer, Seven Stories Press).

This new line up aims to take you on a journey around the Francophone world and its diverse cultures through both classic and contemporary French and Francophone literature. For a few hours each month, change up your routine with books and friends from all the corners of the United States. Albertine Book Club offers a unique opportunity to meet and speak with other Francophiles.

Moderated by Albertine staff, the Albertine Book Club is free and open to Albertine members. For more information on how to become an Albertine member, click here.

CALENDAR

Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at 6pm

Sister Deborah, by Scholastique Mukasonga, translated by Mark Polizzotti, Archipelago Books

A beautiful novel that works in the slippages of history, Sister Deborah at its core is a story of what happens when women—black women and girls—seek the truth by any means.

Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 6pm

The propagandist by Cécile Desprairies, translated by Natasha Lehrer, New Vessel Press

“In her début novel, a historian of Vichy France tackles her family’s real-life collaboration during the Second World War . . . The result is at once a ghost story, a tale of amour fou, a settling of accounts, and, one senses, a deeply personal act of expiation . . . allowing readers to identify with the human foibles of characters on the wrong side of history, while never excusing them.” — Leslie Camhi in The New Yorker

Tuesday, April, 22 2025, at 6pm

Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo, translated by John Sturrock, Penguin Classic
Victor Hugo’s sensational, evocative novel brings life to the medieval Paris he loved, and mourns its passing in one of the greatest historical romances of the nineteenth century.

Tuesday, May 20, 2024, at 6pm

On The Clock by Claire Baglain, translated by Jordan Stump, New Directions
A marvelous debut from the hugely talented young French writer Claire Baglin, this tender and painful portrait of working-class life finds shards of poetry inside the twin hardships of poverty and service work

Tuesday, June 17. 2024, at 6pm

Sad Tiger by Neige Sinno, translated by Jordan Stump, Seven Stories

“Reading Sad Tiger is like descending into an abyss with your eyes open. It forces you to see, to really see, what it means to be a child abused by an adult, for years. Everyone should read it.” —Annie Ernaux
Winner of multiple prizes, Neige Sinno has created a powerful literary form with Sad Tiger, a book that took France by storm and is an international phenomenon.

Intern with Us!

Vous aimez les livres ? La culture française ? Vous êtes organisé.e ? Vous aimez rendre service ? Vous êtes disponible 5 jours par semaine, à partir du 1er mars 2025 pour une durée de six mois ? Albertine, la librairie française de New York,  cherche un.e stagiaire, c’est peut-être vous !

Location : Albertine, 972 5th Avenue, 10075 New York, NY, USA
Envoyez CV + lettre de motivation à l’adresse suivante avant le 31 décembre 2024: rh@villa-albertine.org

Stage rémunéré, convention de stage obligatoire.

Pour en apprendre plus sur le stage: Stage Librairie Albertine.

Application Closed: Director of Albertine Books

We are no longer accepting applications for the position.  Thank you for your interest. 

Villa Albertine, The French Institute for Culture and Education (IFEU-VA) is offering a full-time, in-person position in New York City: Director of Albertine Books.

Start date: December 16, 2024

Potential candidates must be legally permitted to stay in and work for the Embassy of France in the United States (i.e. they must possess an A visa, green card, or American citizenship, or have a work permit pending acquisition of an already-granted green card). Only applications meeting this condition will be considered. The candidate should provide documentation attesting to the status presented above.

Please send your applications, comprising of a resume and application letter, in English and French, to the following address by November 21, 2024, at the latest: rh@villa-albertine.org (subject of email: Director of Albertine Bookshop application).

Brief Presentation

As part of Villa Albertine’s Books & Ideas Department, the Director of Albertine Books is responsible for the management, running, and development of the bookstore. She/he reports to the Director of the Books & Ideas Department. Albertine Books is part of Villa Albertine, The French Institute for Culture and Education, which strengthens ties between the US, France, and the French-speaking world by connecting people and institutions in the spheres of culture and education. Tucked inside the historic Payne Whitney mansion, Albertine Books is the only bookshop in New York devoted solely to books in French and English with more than 14,000 contemporary and classic titles from 30 French-speaking countries. It also hosts events and a book club.

Job Description

I. Develop the bookstore’s activity and further engage audiences:

– Define the bookstore’s editorial and commercial policy and grow in-store and online sales;
– Cultivate new large client accounts;
– Raise the bookstore’s profile, notably through regular production of custom merchandise;
– Collaborate on all aspects pertaining to the production of events and author talks organized by the Books & Ideas — Department and market these events to Albertine’s community.

II. Manage and operate the bookstore:

– Curate a varied and relevant selection of books;
– Manage the bookstore’s staff (two full-time employees and two interns);
– Manage supply and logistics for the store: stock, orders, deliveries, and returns;
– Manage major client accounts (schools, Alliance Françaises, book fairs, and more)
– Supervise the monthly book club and occasionally moderate certain meetings.

III. Budget and Finances:

– Monitor sales and income, tracking growth and KPIs;
– Create and manage the bookstore’s budget;
– Daily reconciliation of cash and receipts in conjunction with the accounting department.

IV. Participate actively in the bookstore’s daily operations:

– Greet and provide recommendations to clients;
– Process sales, returns, and other cash register-related duties;
– Maintain order and organization in the space to ensure it remains tidy and welcoming.

Profile Insights:

I. Professional experience and skills

– Previous experience running or working at a bookstore;
– Management experience;
– Financial management experience;
– Knowledge of the literary and publishing landscapes;
– Knowledge of the French contemporary publishing scene;
– Excellent written and oral communication skills.
– Rigor, organizational skills, and business sense.

II. Language Requirements

– Fluency in English and French.

III. Computer Skills

– Mastery of Microsoft Office 365 (including SharePoint)
– Experience with business management tools appreciated.

IV. Other Qualifications

– Ease with building interpersonal relationships and cultivating dialogue and exchange;
– Curiosity;
– Availability;
– Autonomy and initiative;
– Strong team player and collaborative spirit.

Job Details

– Location: This is a 100% in-person position based in New York City at 972 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10075
– At Will employment with a 6-month trial period.
– Salary: 8,311 USD/month (Level 7) with a monthly transportation allowance of $120.
– Weekly schedule: 40 hours/week, not counting a lunch break.
– Work hours: 5 days per week, including at least 1 weekend day. Occasional availability for events on weekends and
in the evenings.
– Vacation: 25 days a year + public holidays
– Medical insurance and 401(k) with partial participation by the employer.

This position does not entitle the holder to any diplomatic or consular status or privileges.

About the Organization

About Villa Albertine, The French Institute for Culture and Education Villa Albertine strengthens ties between the US, France, and the French-speaking world by connecting people and institutions in the spheres of culture and education. In the arts sphere, we encourage collaboration among French and US-based organizations and provide creators and thought leaders with residencies, grants, and connections to audiences so they can explore and share new insights into society’s pressing issues. In the field of education, we craft projects and programs aimed at making French language and culture accessible to all US audiences, support partnerships between French and American higher education and research institutions and expand opportunities for students to study and complete internships in France. With offices in 10 major US cities, Villa Albertine is headquartered in New York’s historic Payne Whitney mansion, home to Albertine, our bookshop and nexus for French-American intellectual exchange.

Albertine is a bookstore located within Villa Albertine. Its goal is to promote French literature and as well as inter-cultural dialogue between the United States and France.

The Albertine Book Club Fall 2024 Calendar

“The most fruitful and natural play of the mind, in my opinion, is conversation.” Michel de Montaigne (1533 – 1592)

This fall, as we celebrate Albertine’s 10th anniversary, we’re looking forward to a series of engaging conversations on The Lily of the Valley by Honoré de Balzac (trans. by Peter Bush, NYRB); Jellyfish Have No Ears by Adèle Rosenfeld (trans by Jeffrey Zuckerman, Graywolf Press); Like a Sky Inside by Jakuta Alikavazovic (trans by Daniel Levin Baker, Fern Books); and Canoe by Maylis de Kerangal (trans by Jessica Moore, Archipelago).

This new lineup aims to take you on a journey around the Francophone world and its diverse cultures through both classic and contemporary French and Francophone literature. For a few hours each month, change up your routine with books and friends from all the corners of the United States. Albertine Book Club offers a unique opportunity to meet and speak with other Francophiles.

Moderated by Albertine staff, the Albertine Book Club is free and open to Albertine members. For more information on how to become an Albertine member, click here.

CALENDAR

Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at 6pm
The Lily in the Valley, by Honoré de Balzac, translated from the French by Peter Bush, introduction by Geoffrey O’Brien, NYRB
The Lily in the Valley is a terrible fairy tale of two people lost in a game of love—or is it? Peter Bush’s new translation brings out the psychological dynamics of one of Balzac’s masterpieces.

Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at 6pm
Jellyfish have no Ears by Adèle Rosenfeld, translated by Jeffrey Zuckerman, Graywolf Press. A finalist for the 2023 Prix Goncourt, Jellyfish have no Ears is the story of Louise and her decision to get a cochlear implant, a choice that will change the way she hears the world around her—a choice that will involve equal parts loss and discovery. Accustomed to missing or mishearing words mid-conversation, Louise uses her imagination to fill in the gaps, conjuring an eccentric cast of characters and inventing stories that imbue her life with humor, vibrancy, and linguistic playfulness. She experiences her deafness as a portal into another world. Will the cochlear implant close that door?

Tuesday, November 26, 2026, at 6pm
Like A Sky Inside by Jakuta Alikavazovic, translated by Daniel Levin Becker, and published by Fern Books
In March 2020, Jakuta Alikavazovic spends a night in the Louvre Museum. At home: her nine-month-old son. In her overnight bag: a notebook, a toiletry kit, a duvet, a cube of nougat, and something that shouldn’t be there. In her head: memories of the Venus de Milo, of land art and the American road, of romance, travel, immigration, war – and of her father, who after each of their many visits to the Louvre would ask just how she’d go about stealing the Mona Lisa.

Tuesday, December 17, 2024, at 6pm
Canoes by Maylis de Kerangal, trans by Jessica Moore, Archipelago Books
Seven stories ricochet off of this exhilarating central novella, and in them we hear female voices by turns indelibly witty, insightful, intimate, bracing, and profoundly interconnected. The women of these stories are mad about stones, molds of human jaws, voicemail recordings, sonic waves, UFOs, and always how the texture of human voices entwine with their obsessions. With cosmic harmonies, vivid imagery, and a revelatory composition, Canoes will leave its reader forever altered.

Replay Event: Writing at the Crossroads of New African Literature : Mohamed MBougar Sarr and Julian Lucas

Writing at the Crossroads of New African Literature : Mohamed MBougar Sarr and Julian Lucas

On Wednesday, October 25, we welcomed Senegalese novelist Mohamed Mbougar Sarr for a conversation on his latest novel, The Most Secret Memory of Men (translated by Lara Vergnaud, Other Press), winner of the 2020 Prix Goncourt.

On Wednesday, October 25, at 6:30PM, we welcomed Senegalese novelist, Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, for a conversation on his latest novel, The Most Secret Memory of Men (translated by Lara Vergnaud, Other Press), winner of the 2020 Prix Goncourt.

A literary mystery in the same vein as Bolaño’s Savage Detectives, The Most Secret Memories of Men is also a coming-of-age novel that unravels the fascinating life of a maligned Black author, based on the true story and mysterious life of Yambo Ouologuem.

In 2018, Diégane Latyr Faye, a young Senegalese writer in Paris, discovers a legendary book from the 1930s, The Labyrinth of Inhumanity. No one knows what became of its author, once hailed as the “Black Rimbaud,” after the book caused a scandal. Enthralled by this mystery, Diégane decides to search for T.C. Elimane, going down a path that will force him to confront the great tragedies of history, from colonialism to the Holocaust. From Senegal to Argentina to France, will he get to the truth at the center of the maze?

The Most Secret Memory of Men is an astonishing novel about the choice between living and writing, and the desire to transcend the divide between Africa and the West. Above all, it is an ode to literature and its timelessness. Mohamed Mbougar Sarr is the first Sub-Saharan African winner of France’s top literary prize, the Goncourt.

This event was jointly organized with Villa Albertine. It was free with RSVP.  The talk was in English.

MOHAMED MBOUGAR SARR was born in Dakar in 1990. He studied literature and philosophy at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris. Brotherhood, his first novel, won the Grand Prix du Roman Métis, the Prix Ahmadou Kourouma, and the French Voices Grand Prize. The president of Senegal named him a Chevalier of the National Order of Merit. The Most Secret Memory of Men won the 2021 Goncourt Prize.

Albertine Book Club’s Winter/Spring 2024 Calendar

“The most fruitful and natural play of the mind, in my opinion, is conversation.” Michel de Montaigne (1533 – 1592)

This winter, we’re looking forward to a series of engaging conversations on Winter in Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin; The Life Before Us by Romain Gary; An Honorable Exit by Eric Vuillard, The Devil in The Flesh by Raymond Radiguet, Bound to Violence by Yambo Ouologuem, and Rider on The Rain by Sébastien Japrisot.

This new line up aims to take you on a journey around the Francophone world and its diverse cultures through both classic and contemporary French and Francophone literature. For a few hours each month, change up your routine with books and friends from all the corners of the United States. Albertine Book Club offers a unique opportunity to meet and speak with other Francophiles.

Moderated by Albertine staff, the Albertine Book Club is free and open to Albertine members. For more information on how to become an Albertine member, click here.

CALENDAR

Tuesday, January 23, 2024, at 6pm

Winter in Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin, translated by Aneesa Abbas Higgins, Open letter
It’s winter in Sokcho, a tourist town on the border between South and North Korea. The cold slows everything down. Bodies are red and raw, the fish turn venomous, and beyond the beach guns point out from the North’s watchtowers. A young French Korean woman works as a receptionist in a tired guesthouse. One evening, an unexpected guest arrives: a French cartoonist determined to find inspiration in this desolate landscape.

Tuesday, February 20, 2024, at 6pm

The Life Before Us, by Romain Gary, translated by Ralph Manheim, New Directions
Momo has been one of the ever-changing ragbag of whores’ children at Madame Rosa’s boarding house in Paris ever since he can remember. But when the check that pays for his keep no longer arrives and as Madame Rosa becomes too ill to climb the stairs of their apartment, he is determined to support her any way he can. This sensitive, slightly macabre love story between Momo and Madame Rosa has a supporting cast of transvestites, pimps, and witch doctors from Paris’ immigrant slum, Belleville. Profoundly moving, The Life Before Us won France’s premier literary prize, the Prix Goncourt.

Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at 6pm

An Honorable Exit by Eric Vuillard, translated by Mark Polizzotti, Other Press
From the award-winning author of The Order of the Day, a piercing account of the lesser-known conflict preceding the Vietnam War that dealt a fatal blow to French colonialism.Delving into the last phase of the First Indochina War (1946–1954), which saw the communist Việt Minh take control of North Vietnam, Éric Vuillard vividly illustrates the attitudes that both enabled French colonial abuses and ultimately led to their defeat and withdrawal. From the Michelin rubber plantation, where horrific working conditions sparked an epidemic of suicides, to the battlefield, a sense of superiority over the “yellow men” pervaded European and American forces. And, as with so many conflicts throughout history, there were key actors with a motivation deeper than nationalism or political ideology—greed.

Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at 6pm

The Devil in The Flesh by Raymond Radiguet, translated by Christopher Moncrieff, Melville House
The Devil in the Flesh, one of the finest, most delicate love stories ever written, is set in Paris during the final year of World War I. The narrator, a sixteen-year-old boy, recounts his love affair with Martha Lacombe, a young woman whose soldier husband is away at the front. With profound insights, he describes his conflicting emotions—the pride of an adolescent on the verge of manhood and the pain of a child thrust too fast into maturity.
The liaison soon becomes a scandal, and their friends, horrified and incredulous, refuse to accept what is happening—even when the affair reaches its tragic climax.

Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at 6pm

Bound to Violence by Yambo Ouologuem, translated by Ralph Manheim, Other Press
This critical edition of the epic 1968 Malian novel explores its enduring literary power and the racist plagiarism scandal that devastated its author, the first African winner of France’s prestigious Renaudot Prize.

An engrossing, tragic tale spanning the thirteenth to the twentieth centuries, Bound to Violence explores the fate of the imaginary empire of Nakem and the dynasty of the Saïfs, who reigned there as devious masters. While the novel was initially praised as an insider’s guide to and critique of African history, with its vivid descriptions of the brutality of local rulers and the slave trade, Yambo Ouologuem’s biting satire goes far beyond his native land. Through the society of Nakem, he paints a universally relevant portrait of sex, violence, and power in human relationships.

Tuesday, June 18. 2024, at 6pm

Rider on The Rain by Sébastien Japrisot, translated by Linda Coverdale, Gallic Books
Described as ‘the Graham Greene of France’ by The Independent, cult French noir writer Japrisot brings us a stylish thriller about revenge.

The bus never stops in Le Cap-des-Pins. Not in autumn, when the small Riviera resort is deserted. Except today, when a man with a red bag and a disconcerting stare steps out into the rain. His arrival will throw the life of young housewife Mellie Mau into disarray. After surviving a horrific attack, she has a dark secret to hide. But a stranger at a wedding, the enigmatic American Harry Dobbs, is determined to get the truth out of her, leading her into a game of cat and mouse with dangerous consequences …

A Madeleine-Macaron in Honor of Marcel Proust’s Centennial

A limited-edition collaboration brings Villa Albertine and Ladurée together through history, culture, and delectable sweets.

In honor of the 100-year anniversary of Marcel Proust’s life, the two French institutions—one an innovator of cross-cultural connection, the other a pioneer of patisserie—have partnered to craft a limited-edition madeleine flavored macaron, inspired by the French writer’s celebrated ‘madeleine’. A famous device in literary history, Proust’s madeleine embodies the idea of smells, sounds, or tastes that instantly transport you back to emotional memories from long ago.

Albertine Summer Hours

Please note that Albertine’s summer hours are as follows:

Monday through Saturday: 10AM-6PM
Sunday: Closed

Also, Albertine will be closed Monday, August 14 all day.

Happy reading!

The Albertine Team