FRANCE GUEST OF HONOUR FRANKFURT 2017 ALLFRENCH ABOUT Special issue - October 2016 PUBLISHING Mkhtl ,&nll'w•rtw"k __ 1:1 Ir llL:IJ:Iko bollawt Il CliAT A rORCiill)tE CONTENTS Editorial by Fabrice Piault, editor-in-chief PHOTO OLIVIER DION OLIVIER PHOTO A Renewed Industry OLIVIER DION OLIVIER 4 e know that French publishing was born with the Enligh- tenment: Voltaire, Rousseau and the Encyclopaedia edited 4. The Free World by Diderot and d’Alembert. We also know that it really took of French Publishing off in the nineteenth century with authors such as Balzac, WFlaubert, Zola and Jules Verne, illustrators such as Gustave Doré, and also 14. French Publishing in a Few Figures a rich seam of scientific publishing. And we know that between the 1950s 18. Translations 2015 and the 1970s, it gave rise to the nouveau roman and revolutionized the humanities and social sciences through writers such as Bourdieu and 20. The Top 200 French Publishers Derrida. Indeed the period produced several future Nobel Prize winners: 30. The Livres Hebdo Chart Claude Simon, J.M.G. Le Clézio, Patrick Modiano. But what then? of French Publishing There are many erroneous ideas floating about regarding the state of French publishing. Some consider French literature to be navel-gazing. 32. Top Sales 2015 Others view the children’s/YA sector as being mainly concerned with expe- rimentations for a select readership. And there’s a sense that the production 48. Index of essays and monographs is outmoded. Yet, since the turn of the century, French children’s/YA publishing has been one of the most dynamic in the world, while its comics/graphic novels sector is one of the best known. French and Francophone literature has Since the turn of been deeply transformed and blended through the work of authors as varied as 35, rue Grégoire-de-Tours, 75006 Paris the century, French Tel.: +33 1 44 41 28 00 children’s/YA Michel Houellebecq, Muriel Barbery, Dany [email protected] publishing has Laferrière, Joël Dicker, Kamel Daoud, Fred www.livreshebdo.fr been one of the Vargas, Marc Levy and Guillaume Musso. Publication director: Philippe Beauvillard most dynamic in And the non-fiction sector has been revi- ([email protected]) talized by Thomas Piketty, the economist, Editor-in-chief: Fabrice Piault ([email protected]) the world, while and Gilles Kepel, the specialist on the Arab its comics/graphic world. All about French Publishing novels sector is Far from being inward-looking, French Special issue one of the best publishing has much to offer, particularly Texts: Kerenn Elkaïm, Jean-Guy Boin, Fabrice Piault, Claude known. since it is itself very open to foreign publi- Combet and the editorial staff of Livres Hebdo shing – which is widely translated and appre- Translation: ACI/Roland Glasser ciated by French readers. This is what we would like to show with this Editor: Julia Deck special issue of Livres Hebdo (the trade magazine and website of the French Graphic design: A Noir/Nadine Pellé publishing world), one year before France is guest of honour at the Frankfurt Advertising: Anne-Sophie Havard (+33 1 44 41 29 11 – [email protected]), Book Fair in October 2017. Marion Muller (+33 1 44 41 29 12 – [email protected]) What can French publishers offer their colleagues from across the Subscriptions: tel.: +33 1 44 21 28 32 ([email protected]) world? How are publishing and the book market organised in France? How Production: Sully Roulet is translation faring? Who are the key publishers and how can one meet Legal deposit: September 2016. them in Frankfurt? To parody Woody Allen, Livres Hebdo aims to tell you Joint commission: 0919K85471. ISSN: 0294-0000. © Electre, 2016 “everything you always wanted to know about French publishing, but were Printed in the UE afraid to ask”, through this special edition, which is published in partnership Cover photo: Les Buveurs d’Encre bookshop in Paris by Olivier Dion with the Bureau International de l’Édition Française (Bief) and with the support of the Centre Français d’Exploitation du Droit de Copie (CFC). Special issue produced in partnership with the Bief, with the support of the CFC Special - October 2016 3 PUBLI- SHING WORLD OLIVIER DION OLIVIER ext year, France will be the guest of The Free honour of the Frankfurt Book Fair. “We already feel the effect of 2017, says World of Laure Pécher, from the Astier-Pécher agency. Our catalogue Nhas been sold in Germany, an influential country. Subsidies for translation have French been helpful.” Although contacts are By made all through the year, she insists Kerenn Elkaïm that “Frankfurt is an exceptional place for face to face meetings.” Olivier Bétourné, president and CEO of Seuil, Publishing is convinced that “our differences will be more appreciated if we emphasise them.” Whether envied or criticised, France remains an exceptional model. As France gets in gear for the 2017 According to Olivier Cohen, from L’Oli- Frankfurt Book Fair, where it will be the vier, “foreign publishers are perplexed by our passion for literature. It’s more guest of honour, here is an overview of the like politics than entertainment.” French publishing world, highlighting what The literary season in September has been making it so unique for decades. is considered an exception. How can one explain the simultaneous publi- 4 Special - October 2016 cation of more than 500 titles competing caria, this spirit has to do with the per- for a few literary prizes? sonal profile of most French publishers: Sophie de Closets, CEO of Fayard, “Far from being managers or salesmen, thinks this French madness is very they put the literary aspect first.” Accor- healthy. It feeds “the excitement of book- ding to Jean Arcache, CEO of Place sellers, readers and members of jurys, des Éditeurs (Editis Group), “our and strikes again in January.”At Stock, strength is the symbiosis between literary Manuel Carcassonne compares “the and economic considerations. The edi- literary season to the Cannes film festival. tor-writer relationship doesn’t affect How many will reach the last hurdle in creativity.” Louis Delas, CEO of L’École this crazy race?” Only a few, but it des Loisirs, an important children’s reflects “the wealth, diversity and prestige books publisher, is convinced that “the of French publishing”, says Antoine French editorial policy is based on time, Gallimard, president of Madrigall (Gal- quality and independance. Impertinence limard, Flammarion and Casterman). is the brand name of our literature.” At Les Arènes, Laurent Beccaria Sophie de Closets insists that emphasises the importance of the French publishers are usually less independant bookshop network, sup- specialised than their international ported by the fixed price for books counterparts. Their lists will often defined in France by a law passed in include serious essays alongside novels 1981. Actes Sud’s president Françoise for a wider public, as is the case at Nyssen believes that“it reinforces free- Fayard. “This would be inconceivable dom of speech, which is in our genes!” in the US, where there are departments solely dedicated to academia.” However, Discovering New Talent the label “novel” appears on the cover Whereas Anglo-Saxons only work of many types of books, from fiction through agents, French Publishers do to memoir, autobiography, and even it the old-fashioned way. Olivier Cohen narrative non-fiction. At Stock, Manuel enjoys meeting colleagues and writers. Carcassonne explains that “our lack “I prefer to discover new talents myself”, of specialisation is sometimes destabi- he says. This direct contact “gives me lizing for our foreign colleagues. The a certain freedom, as I don’t have to go French have a real capacity for mixing through several middlemen”. Sophie literary styles. Our taste is appreciated de Closets admits that “it may sound in essays, as proven by intellectuals like surprising, but we are on the frontline Pascal Bruckner, Bernard-Henri Lévy to look for new projects and nurture or Michel Onfray.” our writers.” According to Laurent Bec- Olivier Bétourné, at Seuil, >>> “By avoiding pure academic expertise, we provide readers with an easier access to ideas”, OLIVIER BÉTOURNÉ, SEUIL OLIVIER DION Special - October 2016 5 PUBLI- SHING WORLD >>> believes that “publishers of general our freedom. I’m literature like us are suppliers of novels proud to contribute as well as sociological or historical to this.” Sophie de essays. By avoiding pure academic Closets thinks that expertise, we provide readers with an “our writers’ ima- easier access to ideas.” Françoise Nys- gination says some- sen promotes a socially-engaged lite- thing about the rature through her “Domaine du pos- world.” Detective sible” collection that includes authors novels, for ins- like the ecologist Pierre Rabhi. “His tance, will easily thoughts about the world could ruffle cross borders. Oli- some feathers!” vier Bétourné sees France also possesses another them as “an explo- essential asset in its numerous small ration of the social independant publishing houses. “What and political situa- a treasure!” exclaims Koukla MacLe- tion. Some say our hose, a London-based scout. At the writers tend to be beginning of 2016, the fairy tale of the very psychological, novel En attendant Bojangles, by Olivier but there is a rene- DION OLIVIER Bourdeaut, occurred thanks to Finitude, wal of this literary a small publisher based in Bordeaux. genre. I’m optimistic, France has its “Our recent Nobel Prizes in It is a well-known fact abroad that place in every field.” Jean Arcache agrees: these small houses could hold gold “The French thriller owes a lot to Georges literature have crowned two nuggets. Simenon. Our literature expresses fee- strong voices: Modiano as lings, it is due to our language.“ regards intimacy, and Le Clézio “Independance is our motto” Gregoire Lecourt, head of the spe- for his exploration of the Diversity is the spice of French publi- cialised bookstores Bulles en Vrac and shing.