Nicolas, bookseller in a rural area: “People are in less of a hurry”

It’s a small shop of 40 square meters, on the village square of Fresnay-sur-Sarthea few steps from the church. Inside, surrounded by approximately 7,500 books, Nicolas Rivet realized his childhood dream: to become a bookseller. At Géraldine Mayr’s microphone, he recounts a reconversion guided by a passion for books.

In France, there are 20,000 to 25,000 points of sale. Of these points of sale, 3,500 of them are independent bookstores. “One of the densest networks in the world”, according to the French bookstore union. How do you get started as a bookseller? What does everyday life look like? Is it different being located in a rural area?

Become an actor in your territory

“The French are people who talk about books, they don’t just consume them, they also like to debate them and give their opinion”explains Nicolas Rivet. This former teacher-librarian was still the “Mr. CDI” two years ago. The book never left him “the smuggler’s work surely began there”he deduces.

It was a visit to a small bookstore in Cantal that planted the seed. Nicolas realizes that “it was possible” . The desire to become an actor in one’s territory is taking on more and more space: “to tell myself that I am one of those people who will bring these books to others, that makes me happy”.

Is being a bookseller in a rural area so different? “People are in less of a hurry”explains Nicolas Rivet, who likes to advise his clients but also listen to their recommendations and their desires. The bookseller provides reading advice: “Black Nightshade” by Theresa Mourepublished by Éditions de la Contre Allée, a tale of witches that spans time and the lives of three women, linked by a chest passed down from generation to generation.