FAQ

You will find here the most frequently asked questions, with the corresponding answers. If you want to ask us another question, please contact us.

What is a writer’s house?

It is a house where a writer was born, or lived for a certain time or wrote. It is not necessarily her/his native house nor where he has lived for a long time, since a lot of writers were tireless travellers. Some writers’ houses are private properties, open or not to the public. This condition - to be open to the public – or the intention to do it, is necessary to become a member of the Federation.

What is a literary place?

It can be a writer’s house, an imaginary place named or invented by the writer and located in a real country (for instance Gargantua’s kingdom near Chinon or Combray in Illiers), a place where a writer has lived for a short period of time but which was very important for her/his works (for instance, Saché for Balzac), a place where books owned by the writer and literary manuscripts are preserved (see : literary heritage), a literary museum dedicated to the memory and works of a writer (for instance, the Colette Museum in Saint Sauveur-en-Puisaye).

What is a literary heritage?

Manuscripts, preparatory work, notes and mail (sent and received), corrected proofs, original editions of a writer compose her/his literary heritage. It enables the researchers to study how the texts were born, which facilitates the comprehension of the works. This literary heritage is preserved in state-owned or private libraries, documentation centers, writers’ houses or museums, ...

What is a “writers’ road”?

It can be several literary places located in a precise geographical area (for instance, the historical road of writers’ houses in Ile-de-France), a circuit dedicated to a writer who sets her/his works in a precise spot (for instance, Giono in Provence), a group of places linked to the same literary vein (for instance, a European road of romantic writers could be conceivable) and all routes that everyone can trace according to her/his sensitiveness, availability, spontaneity or virtual research ...

What is a “residence for writers” or a “writer in residence”?

It refers to the accomodation of a living writer in a place which can be a writer’s house or a literary museum, in order to enable her/him to write a book, that might be inspired of the writer’s work. For example, the Villa Mont-Noir in Saint-Jans Cappel, childhood home of Marguerite Yourcenar and Jules Roy’s House in Vézelay have as main mission to arrange this type of accomodation.

What does the ampersand (&) of “Fédération des maisons d'écrivain & des patrimoines littéraires" mean?

This abbreviated sign (&) was adopted by the Federation as a logo for its symbolic value: to join, to combine, to gather energies which were up to now disorganized and thus set up a network of places, collections and people linked to the management and animation of these various literary heritages.

What is the « Fédération des maisons d'écrivain & des patrimoines littéraires »?

See the heading aims.

Is it linked with the «la Maison des écrivains et de la littérature»?

"La Maison des écrivains et de la littérature" is a different association, which has another vocation: it is a meeting place for French and foreign writers, where the role of the writer today is considered. This association is supported by the “Centre national du livre” and is located Villa Goncourt – 67 Boulevard de Montmorency – 75016 Paris.

How is it organised?

See the heading "actions".
See the list of members of the Board.

Who are its supports?

See the heading "our supports".

Who can become a member?

The Federation is open to the managers of writers’ houses and other places or collections dedicated to a writer or to the written works of a famous person, and usually open to the public. These places can be museums, libraries, records and documentation centers keeping all kinds of collections. These private or public managers (personal or legal entity) can be owners, persons in charge or representatives and make up the 1st body.
The Federation is also open to anyone (personal or legal entity) interested in its activities and aims, for various reasons: associations, scientific communities, research centers, booklovers and every professional people whose activity is linked with the management or animation of a literary heritage. Those people form the 2nd body.

How to become a member?

Every application for membership to the Federation has to be written and will be examined by the Board, who decides about it (application forms are available on this website under the heading how to become a member).

How much does it cost per year?

For legal or state-owned entities like writers’ houses, museums, libraries, associations and so on, the amount of the contribution, fixed by the general assembly, is 80 euros per year. For individuals (personal entities), the contribution is 35 euros per year. The support contribution is fixed at 100 euros per year and to become a benefactor member it is 120 euros or more per year.