the essential
The children of Nicole Legrand, who ran the Graffiti bookstore in Castres for 40 years, have just donated a large stock of books to the Encrés Tarnais association. A year after its closure, the history of Graffiti continues to be written…
It was unthinkable for Alexia and Jean-Sébastien, Nicole Legrand's children, that the books from the old historic Graffiti bookstore would disappear. If the brand which for 40 years gave many Castres a taste for reading lowered the curtain in December 2023, the many books remained there. And if some were taken up by the publishers, others seemed destined for the end of their life in boxes, or in the landfill!
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Emotion on Place Pélisson in Castres: 40 years later, the Graffiti bookstore is over…
Out of the question for Nicole's children. Alexia explains: “we absolutely wanted the books to have a second life. It’s to honor mom!” So in October, at the book fair organized by Les Encrés Tarnais, Jean-Sébastien offered to donate the books to the association.
The books will go to schools, nursing homes, etc.
“We were very touched,” says Pierre Baïsse, the president of the association. Nicole, (today in nursing homes, editor’s note) would have had her place in our living room! So we collected around forty boxes, and perhaps there will be more to come!” It is up to Les Encrés Tarnais to distribute them. “We are going to offer them to schools, village libraries, retirement homes… It’s a joy to be able to share them with as many people as possible. Nicole Legrand is a figure,” smiles Pierre Baïsse. “My daughter was passing by hours reading there while we went shopping!”
-First job: sort the books and send them to their future destination. “We already have contacts, but nothing is set in stone,” assures the president of Encrés Tarnais. “I prefer it to happen like this,” Alexia continues, “in memory of everything mom did. Her books will go into the hands of children, elderly people…”
At the same time, Nicole's children put the building in the city center of Castres, which housed the store, up for sale. With a dream: that a buyer reopens a bookstore there. On the Encrés Tarnais side, we are actively preparing for the 2025 book fair. Because given the success of the first edition, it will this time be held over 2 days, with distinguished guests, such as Tiberi, the designer of the immortal Pieds Nickelés, or the Maffre brothers, authors of the Stern series. “We already have 140 requests from authors to come,” says Pierre Baïsse, “for 104 places!”
Literature in Castres has a bright future ahead of it.
