Organisation

Ann obtained her degree in art history at University College London she then persued her training in at the Royal College of Art in curatorial studies and further specialised in contemporary Asian art. Currently she is completing a MAS in cultural management at the University of Lausanne.

Life circumstances have taken her across different regions of the world – from London to Bombay, and from Boston to Bern – where she worked in well established cultural institutions such as the Serpentine Gallery, the Museum of Fine Arts, or the JJ School of Arts. Alongside her engagements, she volunteered over numerous years with foundations dedicated to culture and education, including the  Jonas Foundation, reflecting her deep commitment to making the arts accessible to all.

Having grown up in an environment shaped by the exposure to diverse cultures, Ann developped an insatiable curiosity and a profound openness to the world. She places great value on human interaction, finding immense enrichment in meaningful exchanges and relationships.

From a young age, she seeks inspiration in books, art, and music – domains that opened up wide horizons and offered multiple readings on humankind. These passions continue to inspire her daily.

While art and litterature stimulate her, Ann’s husband and two daughters remain at the heart of her life, forming her essential anchor. Additionally, she finds great pleasure in nature and sailing, spaces where she reflects and gathers strength to embark on new projects and face challenges with confidence.

With her rich and varied background, Ann joins the Société de Lecture team, which she discovered with great interest when she arrived in Geneva in 2016. Taking over the management of this institution, which is a rich part of Geneva’s cultural landscape, will allow her to reconnect with her lifelong passion for books, and to combine her skills with those of the entire team in order to continue to develop this exceptional venue.

A long-distance walker and lover of the byways, Emmanuel has traveled to Compostela and Rome from Switzerland. He has crossed the Alps and Corsica, among other places. He is the author of “Très Saint-Père, lettres ouvertes au pape François” (Ed. Salvator, 2018) and of “Via Jacobi, sur le chemin suisse de Compostelle” (Ed. Saint-Augustin/Heidi.news, 2020). A journalist attached to Swiss Radio and Television for more than 20 years, he is co-producer of “Faut pas croire”, the religious and ethical TV program of RTSreligion. He holds a Master’s degree in political science from the University of Geneva and a Master’s degree in audio-visual journalism from Boston University. He is an avid film consumer and a keen reader, and is in charge, at the Société de Lecture, of developing the English-speaking program and communications.

After obtaining a master’s in finance from the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Tours-Poitiers (FR), followed by a second master’s at the University of Hull (UK), Olivia began her career as a financial analyst in a private bank. She then worked in consulting before moving into financial audit at a shipping firm. Olivia has been a member of the board of trustees of the Geneva chapter of La Main Tendue in Geneva for several years, and is currently its treasurer.   When not busy being a mother to her charming twin daughters, she can be found enjoying her two hobbies, reading and the theatre.

After a baccalaureate in literature and philosophy, followed by a Bachelor’s in Psychology at the University of Lyon II, Maxime completed a graduate certificate in documentation science at the University of Geneva. Before joining the Société de Lecture as head librarian in 2003, he worked for the United Nations library and archive, and several public libraries in Geneva.

He knows the Société’s collection inside and out and has a thousand stories to tell, books to recommend and literary treasures to share with members.

Having initially followed a commercial curriculum, Katia obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics from the Haute Ecole de Gestion de Genève. She then obtained a Master’s degree in Luxury Marketing.

Passionate about watches, fashion and gastronomy, Katia is also a great lover of art and cinema. Her priority is to guarantee a high level of service. To achieve this, she can count on her accuracy, her thoroughness and above all her interpersonal skills.

After a first master’s degree in cultural anthropology and experiences in the academic field, Marie decided to move towards a profession that had attracted her for a long time, that of librarian. In 2022, she obtained a master’s degree in Information Sciences at the HEG of Geneva.

She loves traveling and (of course) reading in French, English and Spanish, with a soft spot for fiction and Latin American literature.

After attending university in Lyon, she taught music for several years before training as a librarian. She has been sharing her enthusiasm for and love of books with the Société de Lecture since 2008.

Her interests range widely from embroidery to classical music (she sings and plays the recorder and bagpipes), film (she has a soft spot for ’30s and ’50s cinema) and, of course, books of every description.

Rebecca holds a Federal Diploma in Photography from the School of Photography in Vevey (2007) and completed a BA in visual arts at the Haute Ecole d’Art et de Design de Genève (HEAD) in 2010. Her practice includes both personal and client projects. Her personal work has been selected for the Fotofilmic Traveling Exhibition (2018–19) in Thessaloniki, Vancouver, Paris and New York. She participated in a project spearheaded by the Musée de l’Elysée, “Humanitarian Principles: Here and Now”, which travelled to Venezuela, Poland, Ukraine, Spain and Switzerland (2018–20). Her work has also been shown at Pully Art Museum (2017), Photo15 in Zurich (2016) and Centre de la Photographie in Geneva (2015). She was a recipient of a City of Geneva workshop grant in 2016–19.

Magali studied art in France before completing a postgraduate degree at the School of Photography of Vevey and a certificate at the Haute Ecole d’Art et de Design (HEAD) in Geneva. In recent years she has been a regular presence backstage at La Comédie and the Grand Théâtre de Genève. Her interest in the theatre complements her work with the Société de Lecture authors. A common thread runs through these various collaborations and enriches her personal practice, from the Nouvel Opéra Fribourg and various music festivals to fashion store Bongénie’s In the Mood magazine, alongside photographer Sandra Pointet. She also participated in the City of Geneva 2014 photography project and exhibition “Vis-à-vis” in which 8 photographers were invited to document their neighborhood. Her current projects include “Recadrage”, an exhibition she is co-curating with Karelle Méniné, and “Causerie,” with Céline Bolomey, in collaboration with La Comédie.

Pascale trained as a graphic designer at the Ecole des arts décoratifs in Geneva back in the days of pen and paper, but has since honed her craft by mastering every new digital tool that has come her way. With her love of fine writing instruments, passion for drawing and boundless talent and creativity, she injects a dash of freshness and originality into all of the Société de Lecture’s communication materials.