“The booksellers of Toulon (including the large Charlemagne bookstore) are already out of stock of Jordan Bardella's book (…)”rejoiced Amaury Navarranne on X, last Saturday, the day of the national release of the autobiography of the president of the National Rally entitled What I'm looking for. A message from the opposition municipal councilor (RN) of Toulon and the Metropolis relayed, without further verification, by the far-right Var MP Laure Lavalette, with this comment: “Excellent! I understand better the excitement of some people upon learning of Jordan's arrival next Friday.” Except it was… fake news.
Last Saturday, Charlemagne technically could not have exhausted his stock: this Toulon bookstore, which was to receive the works last Friday, was only delivered… Monday by Hachette. Since then, Jordan Bardella's face has appeared on the shelves, at eye level. Just above the book dedicated to Jean-Luc Mélenchon. And still no out of stock. Of the 60 copies ordered, only 11 were sold. “That’s not what I was told there”defends Amaury Navarranne.
To support his argument, the latter also cites two other places of alleged “rupture”. If in the Mourillon district, “the few copies” ordered by La joie de lire had indeed been pre-reserved by a handful of interested parties, and therefore no longer available at the time of sale, at the Relay de la gare, the display is still full of What I'm looking for. And there, no one really seems to be looking for him. Throughout France, a third of copies have found buyers since last Saturday, according to data from 500 independent bookstores, while it is at the top of sales on Amazon.
A high-stakes outing
On the Nice side, it is not a flood of pro-Bardella customers either. Of the 60 other copies set up at the main Masséna bookstore, in the heart of the city, 24 have left so far. Here, it is rather the books by Philippe de Villiers on the Islamization of France that are going like hotcakes. “Either Bardella fans buy mainly on Amazon, or they don’t necessarily read this type of book”analyzes a publishing professional. “Fayard published 150,000 copies of What I'm looking forit's a big issue for them, says another. That’s more than for an Amélie Nothomb. But watch out for the broth.”
To boost sales, Fayard can count on Jordan Bardella's tour in many provincial towns. And in particular Friday evening in Toulon, where a dedication is planned “for 200 to 300 people”. Not to Charlemagne, as initially requested by the publishing house bought by Vincent Bolloré: the Var family group, which does not share the ideas of the National Rally, vetoed it so as not to participate in the buzz.
“It’s sectarianism when one in two Var voters voted for National Rally in the last legislative elections,” deplores Frank Giletti, MP and president of the RN83 federation. To find a plan B, the latter, who waits until Friday before reading the biography of the far-right leader, called on his address book. “We looked through our contacts for a central and accessible location that could welcome us,” explains the man who opted for Flavor, a new restaurant-dancefloor next to the Mayol stadium.
A five-star hotel as HQ
In Nice, no reader meetings in a bookstore, either. This time, due to lack of space, explains Alexandra Masson, MP and president of the RN 06 federation. She booked the Boscolo, a five-star hotel, on Saturday morning, which regularly serves as a reception venue for Marine Le Pen's party.
Fayard still counted on the staff of the Massena bookstore to sell his books there before receiving… a categorical refusal. If this brand sells What I'm looking for, it doesn't plan to participate in a party for that. Here again, the RN has found the solution. “The Jean Jaurès bookstore, Fayard’s partner, will take care of it,” explains Alexandra Masson. “And they are very friendly.”
