“Rarely proud”
“We are rarely proud enough of what we do in Belgium, regrets Geoffroy Wolters, general delegate of PILen (Interprofessional Book and Digital Publishing Partnership), an association which brings together representatives of authors, publishers, booksellers and public libraries. And even those who are interested in Belgian-Belgian literature may have difficulty obtaining it through traditional channels. This is why the operation Do you read Belgian? aims to make the general public aware of the richness and diversity of Belgian books.”
Its 5th edition brings together 83 publishing houses offering more than 200 new releases, 70 independent bookstores, 230 libraries and 180 schools for 10,500 students. Meetings with authors, writing workshops, debates, exhibitions, etc. are scheduled throughout the month of November.
“In Belgium, there are three segments of the publishing market, explains Carine Lecomte, the brand new general director of ADEB (Association of French-speaking Belgian publishers). First there are the very large publishers who have an international base. Then we find independent publishers introduced into a professional structure. They represent the identity of French-speaking Belgian publishing. And finally, there are a myriad of small publishers who represent 75% of the total French-speaking Belgian publishing market. While some have a real professional project, others are more artisanal and get started out of passion. Such profusion is a good sign because it moves the market. It is in our interest to have a large pool of new entrants to hope that some manage to become robust, to perpetuate themselves and thus to strengthen the identity of French-speaking Belgian publishing.”
From passion
It was out of love for literature that former lawyer Françoise Salmon created the Murmures des Soirs editions in 2011.
“I always tell myself that I’m crazy for doing a job that doesn’t make me a living. Sometimes, I’m tired, worn out, seeing that it’s so complicated, heavy, for so few sales. It takes some strength. passion! We work hours and hours and, most of the time, we don’t even cover our costs.” To increase their visibility, several Belgian publishing houses have recently pooled their distribution and distribution.
“I couldn’t not be optimistic, but it’s not blissful optimism, explains Carine Lecomte. The turnover of French-speaking Belgian publishers increased in 2023 compared to 2022. Belgian publishing has always shown itself to be quite resilient in the face of economic upheavals. We are at a pivotal moment with the development of AI and the explosion of the second-hand market. We can get some positives out of it in terms of innovation.”
