Organized by the French book trade organizations BIEF and CNL, a one-day Professional Meeting of Comic Books Publishers, will be held at the French Embassy in Manhattan on May 26. The conference will bring together a prominent line-up of French comics publishers—among them Glenat, Dargaud, Casterman and Delcourt—to discuss the market for French graphic novels in North America.

Known for literary quality, variety and an emphasis on the book format, French comics have long served to diversify a U.S. comics marketplace dominated by superhero comics and periodicals. But things are changing in U.S. comics and the conference convenes as works such as Penelope Begieu’s Exquisite Corpse (First Second) and Etienne Davodeau’s Lulu Anew (NBM) are finding readers in North America.

The conference will open with a panel on comparing the American and French comic book markets that will include representatives from French houses Glenat and Dargaud. Columbia University graphic novel librarian Karen Green and former DC Comics president and publisher Paul Levitz will join them on the panel. The second panel will feature American publishers known for successfully licensing French comics—Terry Nantier of NBM and First Second’s Mark Seigel—as well as retailer Terence Irvins, graphic novel buyer at Kinokuniya bookstore. The final panel will focus on digital comics and includes Comixology cofounder David Steinberger and Claude de Saint-Vincent of Média Participations.

Ivanka Hahnenberger, general manager VIP Brands, an agent for European comics and graphic novel publishers, is coordinating the programming. Hahnenberger said French comics publishers have been “pushing for this sort of event for some time. The North American market is one that French comics publishers have wanted to penetrate for quite some time.”

The U.S. graphic novel market is growing, she said, and retailers and fans are looking for a broader range of works. French publishers, she said, are offering graphic novel catalogs of “incredible variety and appeal to all ages,” and are looking to license their lists to U.S. comics publishers as well as publishers looking to get involved in the category.

“The hope is that more publishing companies in North America will know about the French comics industry and its titles,” Hahnenberger said.