In Guingamp, thousands of Books at €4 per kilo to finance the Diwan school

Last year, four tonnes of Books were sold during the book fair at the Diwan school in Guingamp, for a total profit of €15,000. “This is one of our biggest money-making operations for the Diwan school,” says Philippe Dollo, the second-hand book fair referent in the Diwan parents’ association.

Behind the scenes, the 2024 second-hand book fair, which will take place from November 15 to December 1, is being actively prepared. At the François Mitterrand space, at Guingamp town hall, thousands of books are stored on tables or even stored in boxes. Around fifteen parents provided transportation at the end of October. “That was done in one morning. It requires organization. Vans are needed to transport the books. These are the parents' vans. It’s complete volunteering, to provide funding for the school.”

Sorting in progress

The parents then sorted the books according to theme: policing, science fiction, children's books, old books, etc. This sorting is not yet complete. There are always boxes left to empty. “It requires a lot of preparation in advance. This is an action that requires a lot of energy from parents. It’s a lot of work to organize everything, so that people can find their way.”

Diwan doesn't unpack everything on the first day. “We didn’t put everything here. There is still a good volume in stock. There is a part which is at the school and another at the Breton cultural center Ti ar vro,” specifies Philippe Dollo. After the second weekend of the fair, parents will draw on these stocks to fill the tables in the François Mitterrand space.

Book donations

The principle of the fair remains the same: it's €4 per kilo of books. For large, bulky works, this weight rule may be relaxed “so that people can buy them at an honest and reasonable price”.

This Wednesday, November 6, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., it will be possible to donate books, in the lobby of the media library, to the Diwan parents' association.

“People will be able to drop off their books. We will collect them and bring them here to present them to the public.” During the book fair, this will also be possible. “Every year, we have people who come and give us the books they bought the year before.” It's not just individuals who make donations. During the year, certain media libraries also get rid of books by requesting Diwan.