Rendez-vous en France

A year ago, while congratulating all the French athletes who participated in the Paris Olympic Games, French president Macron announced the creation of a National Sports Day. And the declaration has become a reality: the very first Sports Day will take place on September 14, giving the opportunity to get the fell again of sport… and celebration!

In 2024-2025, 443,500 foreign students were enrolled in French higher education institutions, a 3% increase over one year and a 17% increase over five years (source: Ministry of higher education and research and its statistical studies department). Foreign students still stand for about 15% of student numbers in France. This year, their number grow at the same pace in all types of institutions. Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe show the most buoyant increases. 

The “rentrée littéraire”, an always long-expected event in France, is already in full swing! At the end of August, the race for the major autumn prizes already began. This year, nearly 500 novels, 484 to be exact, are about to be released: 344 novels written in French are being published this season, including 73 debut novels and 140 translations. To help you navigate this multitude of lines and words, here’s our short selection of 10 French and French-language favourites, all of which have a connection to foreign countries and origins, in the broadest sense of the terms.