Residency brief

The Villa Gillet is a European and international house for contemporary writing practices. It is a meeting place and a creation space, giving voice to writers, thinkers and artists in order to create a common language between literature and the human sciences.

Located in the historic city of Lyon — a place of confluence with a long-standing history of exchanges with Europe and the wider world — the Villa Gillet conceives itself as a laboratory for thought on practices related to books, written and spoken language, and contemporary debates. It offers a gateway into contemporary literature and critical thinking.

Each year, the Villa Gillet welcomes writers through international and cultural action residencies, as well as authors whose freedom of expression is under threat — whether due to censorship, their role as witnesses to political and social realities, or their public positions. It is also part of a European network of partner institutions dedicated to the mobility of writers, aiming to foster public debate by creating opportunities for international authors to engage with new audiences.

For the 2026–2027 edition of Villa Swagatam, the residency is jointly developed by the Villa Gillet and the Lyon BD Festival, a major cultural organization dedicated to graphic storytelling in all its forms. The resident will be welcomed within the Lyon BD Festival’s premises (College Graphique) and will benefit from its artistic ecosystem, in close connection with the Villa Gillet’s programme and network. Through exhibitions, performances, workshops and public events, Lyon BD Festival explores the intersections between comics, literature and contemporary creation. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to supporting innovative narrative forms and fostering dialogue between text and image, literature and visual storytelling.