On January 10, 1975, the first issue ofApostrophesa program destined to become a flagship event on French television and which for 15 years brought French literature into French homes at prime time.
A few months after the disappearance of its emblematic host Bernard Pivotdied on May 6, 2024, two recently published coffee-table books retrace the journey and life of the man who embodied the promotion of literature and books throughout his life.
- Our years Apostrophes: 50 years of books and ideas (INA/Flammarion)
Published jointly by the National Audiovisual Institute and Flammarion, Our years Apostrophes: 50 years of books and ideas looks back at the great moments of the show which marked generations of readers and literature lovers and left its mark on the collective imagination. Published on November 27, the work brings together nearly 250 unpublished archive images and around a hundred extracts from the most emblematic broadcasts. Augustin Trapenardhost of La Grande Librairie on France 5 and heir to Bernard Pivot in the promotion of books, signs the preface.
- Bernard Pivot, the taste of othersby Agnès and Cécile Pivot (Calmann-Lévy)
More personal, Bernard Pivot, the taste of others (Calmann-Lévy) is co-signed by the journalist’s two daughters, Agnès and Cécile Pivot. If the album, released on October 30, unsurprisingly gives pride of place to Apostropheshe also explores the other facets of a life which was far from being limited to television. The years of youth and training – the young Bernard Pivot appears pencil in hand covering literary news – are followed by numerous focuses which allow us to understand the man as a whole. From his passion for newspapers and football to his love for Beaujolais, the region of his childhood, via the Dicos d’or and of course the Académie Goncourt, the photos follow one another, sometimes in black and white, sometimes in color, decorated with numerous texts and quotes. Pierre Assoulinemember of the Goncourt Academy, also devotes a long and moving portrait to him.
