Michel Catalano, the hostage of the Kouachi brothers, tells his story in a book

The life of Michel Catalano changed on January 9, 2015 at 8:30 a.m. That day, the Kouachi brothers pass through the doors of its printing house Dammartin-en-Goëlein Seine-et-Marne. On the run, the two Islamist terrorists are wanted by all the police in France after having murdered, two days earlier in Paris, several members of the editorial staff of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, as well as a police officer, Ahmed Merabet. A terrifying house clos then begins between the printer and the two killers.

The business manager sets himself a butt : save the life of Lilian, his employee, who managed to hide in a cupboard when the terrorists entered the printing house. Faced with these assassins who will finally free him, Michel Catalano will draw within himself the resources necessary for his survival and that of its employee.

Michel Catalano has reconstructed himself

The assault, given at the end of the day against the Kouachi, who will be killed, will destroy the entrepreneur’s printing press. THE 800 projectilesfired by the security forces, put Michel Catalano’s work tools out of use and everything he had spent a lifetime building. Today, ten years after that terrible day, the souvenirs remain anchored in the memory of the 58-year-old business leader. He decided to tell them in a book, “The printer of Dammartin”, published on January 2 by Cherche Midi editions.

In a narrative both rigorous and poignanthe describes the stages of his reconstruction alongside that of his business. Without hiding anything from the difficulties encountered: the depression, administrative absurdities, media madness, certain political doublespeak, but also and above all the support of his wife and his two children, as well as empathy hundreds of anonymous people touched by his story and who wrote to him. Some even helped him financially to relaunch his business by sending him dons. “The printer of Dammartin” or the story of a man who knew how to stay standing.