Tuesday 13 October at 4 pm

True to its passion for the arts, the Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo continues its Rendez-Vous Culturels series by welcoming writer Philippe Vilain on Tuesday, October 13 at 4 p.m. To mark the publication of his latest essay, La Promesse. Échapper aux vaines paroles, the Hotel presents a new literary encounter, lively and personal, centred around conversation and the sharing of ideas.

Alongside its art collection, architecture and living spaces conducive to contemplation, the hotel cultivates a programme in which literature, creativity and the art of living naturally come together. Throughout the year, writers, artists and intellectuals take part in these encounters, making each Rendez-Vous a privileged moment for exchange.

A reflection on the value of words

A novelist, essayist and Professor of French Literature at the University of Naples Federico II, Philippe Vilain has built a body of work in which the intimate becomes the starting point for a profound reflection on emotions, morality and human relationships. The recipient of several literary distinctions, he is the author of La Dernière Année, Paris l'après-midi (winner of the Prix François-Mauriac from the Académie française), Pas son genre (adapted for the cinema), and Mauvais élève, an autobiographical account acclaimed by critics.

In his latest book, published in 2026, La Promesse, échapper aux vaines paroles, Philippe Vilain explores an act that is both simple and fundamental: making a promise. Why do we make promises? What do we put at stake when we give our word? Combining philosophical reflection, literary references and personal experience, Philippe Vilain presents the promise as an “altruistic passion” — a commitment that connects us to others, to ourselves, to time and to the truth of language. From promises of love to political commitments, from intimate vows to the pledges we make in everyday life, he explores what gives meaning and value to our word at a time when words themselves can seem to have lost their weight.

Through its Rendez-Vous Culturels, the Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo embodies a sensitive vision of hospitality, where works of art, ideas and meaningful exchanges naturally find their place. Conceived as privileged interludes, these encounters bring together figures from the worlds of literature, art and thought, inviting them to engage in conversation with guests and share their perspectives in the sincere and intimate atmosphere that is so dear to the Maison.