L’oeil du monde is a variety of opal that becomes transparent and iridescent when wet. This stone and its beautiful name symbolise the power of images and stories to break down borders and language barriers.

In 2021 and 2022, a cultural mediation project will be carried out by 11 libraries in the Nantes agglomeration and the Pays de la Loire and Brittany regions, through the “adoption” of 11 publishers from all over the world, invited by MeMo: CLICK HERE TO SEE THE INVITED PUBLISHERS

In the spring of 2022, a major exhibition presenting the invited artists and publishers will be held at Le Lieu Unique. For four days, the Nantes national stage will also host an event open to the public and bringing together international children’s book professionals.

This event will be preceded by the purchase of at least a hundred titles from these publishers by their host libraries and the translation of certain works in order to continue this multicultural experience in the long term. Children and young people from each library will be able to welcome children and young people from other libraries and thus also their “guest” country to share languages, arts and cultures. The host libraries will be able to continue acquiring books from their publishing house by creating projects that are linked to these books.

This event will be a world first. While publishers meet at international fairs (Bologna, Frankfurt, Shanghai…) to acquire and sell the rights to their books, l’œil du monde will offer the first international gathering of creative publishers linked to their catalogue and their authors. This configuration, which includes libraries, bookshops, translators and book professionals, will be part of a long-term approach to sharing and discovery.

The publishers and authors invited come from Europe, America, Africa and Asia: Italy, Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Norway, Mexico, Rwanda, South Korea, Japan and India.

In 2023, from March 25 to April 23, this multicultural journey continues at the Lieu Unique, in Nantes. through a festival where children and adults will have the opportunity to meet artists and publishers, to attend workshops and take part in various activities.

L’œil du monde is a project for children, for books, open to all and open to the other.