On the program for the last few weeks, a New Caledonian poet in signing, a West Indian comic book author invited for a conversation at breakfast time, a Martinican novelist and a Haitian writer invited to a nocturnal meeting, a Martinican political scientist and academic in dedication… At the Calypso bookseller, the books wait as much to be read as their authors to be met. “I have always imagined my bookstore as a living place, where we can discover authors and their works but also interact with them directly. »
It's been six years since Agnès Cornélie, 40, embarked on the adventure of a thematic bookstore entirely devoted to overseas and Caribbean territories. After starting in the XIe district of Paris, the former librarian professor has set course for her current lair of 40 m2at 32 rue Gassendi, in the XIVe arrondissement.
Read also: In Martinique, 90% of inhabitants speak Creole, a language “fundamental to define us”
“I like mixing genres”
In a decor in the colors of apricot, amber and Comoros blue, the covers of stacks of books compete in eclecticism. Here, a translation of Little Prince of Saint-Exupéry in Creole alongside a dictionary of swear words in West Indian Creole. Further, Alice Zeniter's novel on neighboring New Caledonia with the new book by “the very big one” Gisèle Pineau, writer of Guadeloupean origin.
The latest from Colin Niel, a talented storyteller from Guyana, sits at table with the West Indian haikus of Didier Destouches, while children's albums look at historical essays and beautiful art books coexist with tourist guides. “I like to mix genres and eras. Often, when we talk about overseas, we think of Aimé Césaire, Maryse Condé or the coconut islands. Of course, these authors are essential, as are the postcards. But I want to discover all the other aspects and talents of overseas people. »
The task is colossal as prejudices and caricatures persist regarding overseas territories. For the Guadeloupean, daughter of a history and geography teacher, “show the world in all its complexity”, its paradoxes and its struggles remain a mantra. “It often happens that readers come to the bookstore to ask me for books that help understand this or that crisis in the territories. This was the case recently with New Caledonia and Martinique. » The history of slavery, colonialism and Caribbean dictatorships are particularly well documented in its collection.
Read also: Book. Ernest Pépin’s collection of poetry, a “general song” of Guadeloupe
“Create dialogue, debate”
So, for the former student in a literary preparatory class at the Lycée Molière in Paris, welcoming the Cifordom bookstore, one Thursday a month, for a moment of exchange quickly became obvious. The Center for Information, Training, Research and Development for Overseas Origins has been working since the 1980s on the issue of rights and the fight against racism and discrimination. “Creating dialogue and debate is also the power of books. »
One more reason to associate your bookstore with committed festivals like that of Sanblé, which every year in Gouray, in Côtes-d'Armor, celebrates Caribbean culture. “It’s important to show our existence because making a living from your bookselling business is complicated. Here, the whole challenge is to retain readers on a particular theme and geography. »
However, Agnès believes in good omens like the one who, during a dream, suggested the name Calypso for her establishment. Divinity of the sea in Greek mythology, she took in Ulysses after a shipwreck. Calypso Rose is also the stage name of a great lady from Trinidad, an emblematic figure of the calypso musical genre. Sponsorships of words and seas that carry you far.
