Where?
At Messy Nessy’s Cabinet in Paris in the 5th arrondissement. Members will also be able to tune in via Zoom.
Who is it for?
- Literary lovers and Parisphiles who enjoy group discussion
- Writers (authors, journalists, bloggers, freelancers and hobbyists) who wish to share unpublished work with the club.
- Non-writers but avid readers and keen listeners with great ideas
- Online members who can tune in remotely via Zoom to listen to readings and discussions, as well as have the option to submit written work anonymously for group reading & feedback.
- English speakers in Paris looking to meet other Anglophones.
- Parisians looking for a friendly Anglophone environment to practice listening & speaking English
What can you expect?
- 90 minute (after work) seated meet ups with wine, drinks, nibbles & a cozy literary environment, similar to a literary roundtable, except technically, ours is a long table!
- The evening is hosted by Nessy (@messynessychic) founder of Messy Nessy’s Cabinet and author (and publisher) of the Don’t be a Tourist books.
- For each salon, Nessy invites a special guest author to lead the salon with a reading and answer questions about their work, their process and experience as a writer.
- Live readings of literary essays (written by members or curated by Nessy with a Parisian theme) will be followed by discussions
- A safe and productive space for writers feedback
- 5 minute readings & up to 15 minute group discussion per submission/ selected essay
- A selection of Paris-related books recommended by Nessy sent straight to your inbox quarterly.
When?
Once a month (we aim for the third Thursday of every month) after shop hours at 6:30pm. All dates & details are shared on the Events Bulletin Board.
Upcoming guests:
April 23rd: Adrienne Ryser florist and owner of L’Arrosoir, Paris’s oldest flower shop. She is the author of her forthcoming book Fleurs: Bouquets, Arrangements, and French Floral Inspirations, sharing the craft and sensibility behind her sought-after arrangements…
May 12th: Jennifer Dasal, art historian and author of The Club: Where American Women Artists Found Refuge in Belle Époque Paris. Her book brings to life the creative community of American women who found freedom and inspiration in Paris—“an exclusive invitation to a Parisian enclave during an era of artistic and social transformation”…
June 18th: Rachel Khoo, author of The Smallest Restaurant in Paris—a deliciously intimate dispatch from her tiny Paris kitchen, where market-haul simplicity meets big-city appetite. Part memoir, part recipe diary, it’s an invitation into the kind of Paris you can taste: butter-slicked, counter-top-sized, and quietly glamorous…
July: Lauren Elkin, novelist, critic and translator for some of France’s most fascinating literary works. She is the author of Flâneuse: Women Walk the City (2016) and her most recent novel, Scaffolding, follows the relationships of two couples living in the same apartment in Paris, one in the present day and one in 1972.
How do I sign up?
It’s easy & will cost you less than a glass of wine!
The club is a new addition to the existing Messy Nessy’s Keyholder membership program which among other things, includes your own personal travel assistant (no biggie) for $4.99/ month (which you can cancel at anytime). Discover more & get your membership here to save your seat at our first roundtable this fall. In-person attendance fills up first (we have around 20 seats per salon) so we recommend signing up 2-3 months in advance. If an event is marked full, we always have last-minute cancellations so it’s very much worth putting yourself on the waiting list.
Existing Keyholders can RSVP for our Writers and Readers Club HERE (or once you’re signed in to your Keyholder account, go to the Events Page under the Keyholder dropdown menu). If you’d like to join remotely, you’ll find the Zoom links here.
Even if you don’t decide to join, you’re welcome to indulge in some great stories at MessyNessyChic.com
