An anthill. Which, as the weekend goes on, will rustle even more. The Book Fair has, alongside conferences, debates and other major discussions, become an institution. Four bookstores share the space and the dozens of publishing houses present: the Labbé bookstore in Blois, the Esperluète bookstore in Chartres, the Dialogues bookstore in Brest and finally, the Boîte à livres, in Tours.
Behind the Labbé bookstore stand, the team is hard at work. Men and women in red vests with gold letters occupy stand 27 and all those located between numbers 33 and 48. That is approximately 60 linear meters. Not forgetting the book sales at the end of a few conferences, here and there across the city.
“These books are our grandchildren”
In the grain market, this is enough to present many references to essays, documents, beautiful books, biographies and historical novels. So the booksellers are getting busy. There are those who work year-round at the bookstore on rue Porte-Chartraine, those who regularly participate in outdoor fairs with which the Blésoise bookstore is associated and finally the extras who intervene during this weekend great activity.
Camille is one of them. Same for Anne. Both enjoy being there, never far from a payment terminal, a calculator and the stock of bookmarks specially published for the occasion.
Representatives of publishing houses visit the stands. To take the temperature. Like Ilaria Castagna. She welcomes the visibility given to the pocket books from the Champs collection. “It’s important to be there and to be well presented. The arrangement of books matters a lot, explains the young womanthese books are our grandchildren. »
Until Sunday, signings will punctuate the days. Enough to attract readers and potential buyers. Booksellers know this. Getting ready for it. There, it is Laurent Cuvelier who presents his first work. Several copies will be sold. A good start.
Everything is adjusted as closely as possible
Under other names – Michel Pastoureau, Pierre Rosanvallon and Alice Zeniter, in particular – the books sold like hot cakes. Several dozen, certainly, even a hundred. In the stand opposite, Leïla Slimani and JMG Le Clézio should also make a splash. Literary news and the reputation of the author are elements that also count at a fair.
Over the days preceding the meeting, everything is adjusted as best as possible with the managers of the 14 publishing houses that Olivier Labbé’s bookstore represents until Sunday. Even the number made available to François Hollande tells us Johanne Quénéré, bookseller and head of the RVH system.
One phone call and a book signing is changed. And for good reason, the books did not arrive. They will be ready for this Saturday. Other authors, Erik Orsenna or Jacques Attali, will ultimately not come to the stand. We adjust, we adjust.
“23 euros, please. » The payment is validated. The book changes hands. A mechanical gesture for experienced or temporary booksellers. In Blois, the book festival has only just begun.
Anne works on the stand during the weekend. The opportunity for this former bookseller to reconnect with her profession which she would like to do again.
© Photo NR, Vanina Le Gall
