“The first Saturday I didn’t shine! »

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Without realizing it, on December 7 and 8, 1985, Fougères would sign a very long lease with children’s literature. On November 16 and 17, the city will experience the fortieth edition of its show, now organized by Fougères agglo. The author fougerais Marc Baron will be there, no doubt with a big thought for the first edition…which he organized. Rewind.

In 1985, Fougères looked gloomy. Social plans followed one another in local companies.

But the left-wing municipality of Jacques Faucheuxwho took command in 1983, sought to maintain the morale of the population.

On the cultural side, the Fougères cultural action office (OFAC) proposed things, under the leadership of Michel Philippetutelary figure of living book.

“It was Michel Philippe who first suggested I lead writing workshops. It was held upstairs in the theater,” remembers Marc Baron.

The writer had lived in Fougères for several years. He worked part-time as a documentalist at Jeanne-d’Arc college and had just published a book.

First “book facilitator” in France

“At the beginning of 1985 I believe, the assistant for culture Jean-Jacques Kérourédan, himself a poet, and the assistant for finance Louis Feuvrier suggested that I do something around literature. This is where we talked about a fair for young people,” continues Marc Baron, named facilitator of the book.

I believe I was the first to have this position in France, part-time at the beginning and partly financed by the Ministry of Culture. The same goes for Jean Hérisset, heritage facilitator.

Housed in a small office from the municipal library (“all up there”), Marc Baron then began preparing a book fair.

I was a novice, but at the same time it exhilarated me, especially since I was not used to administration or management! At the time, people said: wow, a poet won’t know how to organize anything. But quickly I said to myself: I must not fail! » (laughs).

“I had no technician or secretariat, I got by with the services of the city and Ofac. I also remember my first phone call: I called the author Évelyne Brisou-Pellen. To invite her, but also so that she can suggest names of other authors to me! “.

In 1985, Fougères was one of the very first cities to create a youth fair. The same year as Montreuilmoreover, the largest French show.

We were pioneers. Some friends offered to come and help me set up the tables at the Urban Planners. But the first Saturday, I didn’t shine. Around ten authors were present, as well as publishers and two Fougères booksellers, Mary and Durand-Noël. And there, big success: more than four thousand people in two days! Proof that there was a demand.

Expectations exceeded

“An almost unexpected success, exceeding the hopes of the organizers” greeted journalist Brigitte Beaumert in La Chronique, the day after this inaugural weekend.

Start of a beautiful story. The living room experienced growing fame and great enthusiasm among authors, who appreciated its family side.

It was maintained at the Town Planners until 1989, before to relocate at the Juliette Drouet cultural center in 1990. “A proposal from its director Claude Berceliot, who always supported me afterwards,” appreciates Marc Baron. Passed into the bosom of Fougères community, the Children’s Book Fair, the most important in Brittany, then moved to the Aumailrie in 2011.

A last edition as organizer for Marc Baron, who then retired.

Marc Baron, however, remained faithful to “his” salon. “

I’m happy to be invited every year, it’s nice of the organizers. I am also very happy that this continues, based on meetings with authors in schools and in media libraries, an idea launched in the first year of the show with around twenty classes at the time. I did something that is close to my heart and which lasts, I think we can all be proud of it.

Hervé PITTONI

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