Noël, Sophie

“The cultural offer must be vibrant, dynamic, and joyful. Culture must absolutely thrive”: An interview with Georges-Marc Habib - 2023.


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This interview with Georges-Marc Habib, carried out on September 8, 2022, at l’Atelier bookshop in Paris (20th arrondissement), is an opportunity to look back at the upheavals that have affected the physical sale of books since the health crisis of 2020 and at the importance of reading during lockdown. But also to discuss such topics as the role of local shops and “places” for the dissemination of culture, the consequences of click & collect on editorial diversity, the Darcos law on the minimum delivery price for books, or the social cost of Amazon. L’Atelier comprises three shops in the 20th arrondissement of Paris: a general bookshop, a children’s bookshop, and a bookshop devoted to art books and comic books. It is part of the Librest bookshop network, an association that pools the stock of twelve independent bookshops in the greater Paris area. Its director, Georges-Marc Habib, is also at the head of the national website lalibrairie.com, which federates several bookshops all over France.