« En this end of the year, in our independent bookstores, it may be less easy to find certain books. They will not be highlighted, neither on the table nor in the window, and perhaps even simply absent. And this for a reason, they are part of the books published by the houses of the Hachette group and therefore now belong to the empire of Vincent Bolloré. » In a column published on November 19, 80 bookstores recall that their day-to-day independence “is constructed in its choices: the works present and highlighted. But she also asserts herself in her refusals. The refusal to be the propaganda tool of reactionary forces. »
This call comes at a time when the publishing house Fayard, belonging to Hachette, which is owned by the Bolloré group, recently appointed Lise Boell, Éric Zemmour's editor, as head of the publishing house, and is releasing with fanfare the books by Jordan Bardella and Philippe de Villiers. “It had been fifteen years since we had seen a National Rally book in bookstores: the publishing world refused to produce works by a party founded by former Nazis and still a promoter of fascisation of society. And now it would almost seem normal. For us, this is still not admissible and we would like to point out that” they write.
This forum of independent booksellers and bookstore employees is part of an action campaign, “Disarming the Bolloré Empire” launched last July at the call of environmentalist, decolonial, union, feminist and anti-fascists.
“A group serving dark moral panics”
For the signatories, the takeover of Hachette by the Bolloré group is a “catastrophe” for publishing and the book world. The main French publishing group and the leading book distributor in Europe, Hachette is also a well-established marketing machine: “Through massive amounts of advertising and communication, for which the group uses all the media at its disposal, mercantile cynicism puts itself at the service of the darkest moral, racist, sexist and transphobic panics” believe the signatories.
“A book is not just a printed text, it is an entire economy to which it belongs. Just as much as their content, the methods of production and circulation of texts are not neutral. They matter. As is often the case, the power in the book is logistical. » As a reminder, the Bolloré group also holds Relay points present in all stations in the country.
“Of course, it is not a question of saying that all the authors who publish with Hachette are far-right”nuance the signatories. “Not even those who work and edit there. There are many texts there that are dear to us. Nevertheless, the context requires us to see this obvious fact: these books finance and arm, often despite themselves, an enterprise which aims to destroy us. Our bookstores are sometimes fragile places and have a lot to lose in the face of the attacks of far-right capitalism. »
The appeal highlights that another billionaire, Pierre-Édouard Stérin, is also seeking to finance 500 bookstores to achieve “the union of the rights”. “The predation of large groups contributes to suffocating editorial plurality, literary creativity and thus the survival of bookstores which aim to be spaces welcoming the diversity of voices and experiences” alert the signatories.
“The independence of bookstores is also affirmed in its refusals”
Last June, just after the dissolution of the National Assembly, a forum of 125 independent anti-fascist bookstores already called for taking note of the situation and acting accordingly: “Whatever the outcome of the July 7 vote, the battle of imagination will continue, it will probably be even more bitter, and we intend to play our part in it. »
The independent booksellers behind this call believe that “the battle of the imaginations is indeed taking place, and it is also played out in its materiality. It's up to us to win it! » The alert launched by the SNCF and RATP unions to prevent Jordan Bardella's book display campaign in train and metro stations shows that “resistance works”. “Racial hatred still has no place in the public space, and the networks for its dissemination still need to be fought” they add. “Refusing the concentration of the publishing world in the hands of reactionary billionaires is a collective matter. »
– The call and the list of signatory independent bookstores can be found on Mediapart et Monday morning.
More information: Campaign to disarm Bolloré
photo from Front page: The Pantagruel bookstore, in Marseille, saw its window broken after setting up a “teddy bear demonstration”: the stuffed animals held signs reading “I want to live in an anti-racist and anti-fascite France” or “Tell me, why don’t you vote? Come, let’s talk about it together”. Pantagruel's booksellers chose to transform the traces of the shock into a multicolored sun. © Jean de Peña
