Le livre sur les quais

What Le livre sur les quais does

Le livre sur les quais is a Swiss non-profit organization founded in 2010 that operates an annual three-day international literary festival on the lakefront quays of Morges, in the canton of Vaud. The festival's programming centers on approximately 160 authors participating in roughly 150 events including readings, book signings, and discussions, delivered with the support of 170 volunteers and an 18-person staff. Admission is free and open to the public, positioning the event as a mass-access cultural gathering rather than a ticketed commercial product.

The festival's business model is a diversified non-profit funding stack anchored by Swiss public subsidies. Institutional support is drawn from the Ville de Morges, Canton de Vaud, Pro Helvetia (Swiss Arts Council), Pour-cent culturel Migros, Loterie Romande, and Fondation Jan Michalski, supplemented by private corporate sponsors, individual donations, embassy cultural contributions, and a paid membership program called Le Cercle des ami·e·s. International embassy partnerships with Spain, Ireland, France, Poland, Quebec, Sweden, Romania, and Wallonia-Brussels extend the festival's curatorial reach and guest-author pipeline across European and Francophone markets.

The organization has no disclosed technology platform, digital product, or AI-enabled component; value is delivered entirely through in-person programming on the Morges quays. Educational partnerships with institutions such as Collège Champittet and Rosey World Schools extend the audience to school-age participants. The 17th edition is scheduled for 2026, with French author Delphine de Vigan featured, indicating continuity of the established annual format rather than a strategic pivot.

Name

Le livre sur les quais

Legal name

Le livre sur les quais

Website

https://lelivresurlesquais.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Le livre sur les quais is a Swiss non-profit that runs an annual three-day international literary festival on the Morges lakefront, hosting 160 authors across 150 events with 170 volunteers. Founded in 2010, it serves the French-speaking Swiss public free of charge, funded by public subsidies, corporate sponsors, and embassies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Festival / Cultural Events

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG)

Keywords

• Literary festival
• Cultural events
• Author readings
• Book signings
• Literature promotion

Headquarters

HQ city

Morges

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Le livre sur les quais organizes an annual international literary festival on the quays of Morges, Switzerland, featuring approximately 160 authors across 150 events (readings, signings, discussions) over 3 days. The non-profit association complements the festival with a volunteer program (170 volunteers), a members' support circle (Cercle des ami·e·s), an email newsletter, and an online archive of past authors.

Product overview

Le livre sur les quais is a cultural festival, not a software product. It is a single annual event consisting of a three-day literary festival in Morges, Switzerland. The offerings include the main festival event (Édition 2026 being the 17th edition), a membership program (Le Cercle des ami·e·s), volunteer participation opportunities, email newsletter subscription, and an archive of past authors. There are no software products, platforms, or digital product modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Le livre sur les quais Festival Annual international literary festival held over 3 days on the quays of Morges, Switzerland, featuring approximately 160 authors and 150 events (readings, signings, discussions) open free to the general public.
• Le Cercle des ami·e·s du Livre sur les quais Membership/friends circle that supports the festival financially and through advocacy via membership fees.
• Newsletter Subscription Email newsletter providing subscribers with festival news, author lineups, and edition updates.
• Volunteer Program Volunteer engagement program recruiting and coordinating approximately 170 volunteers to welcome public and guests during the festival.
• Author Archive Online directory archive of authors and writers who have participated in the festival across editions, organized by year and category.
• Édition 2026 17th edition of the annual festival scheduled for 2026, featuring author Delphine de Vigan as a highlighted guest.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Retraites populairesminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Financial/services supporter of the festival.
• CIC (Commercial Insurance Company)minorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Banking/insurance sector partner.
• HarschminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Construction/real estate company partner.
• Le Bon Suisse du LivreminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Swiss book industry partner organization.
• Collège ChampittetminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Private school in the region that may participate in educational programming.
• Désir d'écrire®minorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Organization related to writing promotion.
• MirariminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Travel agency partner.
• IncyteminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Pharmaceutical/biotech company partner.
• MotionLabminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Innovation/tech hub partner.
• The Little Prince FoundationminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Foundation dedicated to The Little Prince and literary/cultural education.
• Pro InfirmisminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Swiss organization for people with disabilities, indicating inclusion focus.
• Ambassade d'EspagneminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Spanish Embassy supports Spanish-language author participation.
• Ambassade d'IrlandeminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Irish Embassy supports English-language/Irish author participation.
• Wallonie-BruxellesminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Wallonia-Brussels Federation supports Belgian author and cultural participation.
• Ambassade de France en Suisse et au LiechtensteinminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. French Embassy supports French-language author participation.
• Institut culturel de PologneminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Polish Cultural Institute supports Polish author participation.
• Délégation générale du QuébecminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Quebec Delegation General supports Quebecois/French-Canadian author participation.
• Ambassade de SuèdeminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Swedish Embassy supports Scandinavian author participation.
• Institut Culturel RoumainminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Romanian Cultural Institute supports Romanian author participation.
• Rosey WorldminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Rosey School's international educational network partner.
• Centre PatronalminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Swiss employers' association based in the region.
• ProLitterisminorOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. Swiss copyright society for authors and publishers supporting literary rights.
• Le Cercle des ami·e·scoreOthersLogo displayed on the festival's partners section. The festival's own membership/friend circle organization that supports the event through membership fees and advocacy.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Hay Festival: International literary festival network with editions across multiple countries. Comparable as a curated, multi-author literary event series attracting international authors and institutional sponsors.
• Edinburgh International Book Festival: Long-running international literary festival in a European capital city with a free, public-event model. Comparable as a multi-day author-driven festival with international scope and public-sector support.
• Foire du Livre de Brive: Major French book fair in Brive-la-Gaillarde with a strong author-meets-public tradition. Comparable French literary market positioning and free public access model.
• Livre Paris: France's flagship annual book fair, organized with French institutional partners. Comparable in curating large author lineups for French-speaking readers, but at a far larger, trade-and-public scale.

Direct peers

• Comédie du Livre: Annual literary festival in Montpellier offering free public access to hundreds of authors over several days. Closely mirrors Le livre sur les quais' free, urban, multi-author model.
• Les Assises du Roman: Literary festival centered on the novel, hosted in Lyon/Vienne. Comparable scale and Francophone audience, with a thematic rather than purely generalist literary focus.
• Festival America: Biennial French literary festival in Vincennes focused on literature from the Americas. Comparable as a curated French-language literary event featuring international author delegations supported by embassies.
• Quais du Polar: Annual literary festival in Lyon also staged on a quai, focused on crime and detective fiction. Directly comparable in format (free, public, lakefront/embankment setting, multi-day author events) and French-speaking market.
• Printemps du Livre de Grasse: Free annual literary festival in southern France bringing together several hundred authors and large public audiences. Closely comparable in format, scale, and Francophone author curation.

Regional players

• Festival du Livre de Genève: Major Geneva-based book fair/literary festival in the same French-speaking Swiss market. Comparable regional audience and overlapping Swiss institutional funder ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@lelivresurlesquais_Morges
• Facebookfacebook.com/167942109918713
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lelivresurlesquais
• Instagraminstagram.com/lelivresurlesquais

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Le livre sur les quais