the essential
Roland Joffre offers second-hand books on rue de la République.
This is a new business that is emerging in the bastide. Roland Joffre has just opened a second-hand bookstore on rue de la République.
Passionate about photography and reading, this bookseller born in Aveyron decided to return there to embark on this new adventure. A professional photographer for 30 years, he traveled the Midi-Pyrénées region, then Martinique. There, in 2010, he began writing a series of detective novels.
Share your passion
In this new store, nearly 10,000 references are available, leaving one spoiled for choice. “The goal is to introduce new detective authors and to give young people a taste for reading again,” he says.
This passion for books comes from his youth. “I have been reading books since I was little. I have always loved it,” he explains. “Some books are part of my personal collection, while others are bought from private dealers all over Europe. Many are second-hand books, sometimes old ones that you can no longer find, on authors living or dead,” continues the bookseller.
All his references are available on his website where it is possible to place an order. “People come to have a look in the shop to look at or talk about novels with me, I love being able to share my passion,” he announces.
“Books are physical”
Despite the development of the Internet and consumer giants, he remains calm: “Books are physical. Reading on a tablet does not give the same sensations as reading a real book. We take them with us on trips, we horn them, we damage them… That’s what gives them their charm. We cannot reproduce it entirely with a phone or tablet,” concluded the merchant.
