The earthquake in the French publishing world continues. Emmanuel Macron deemed it “very important to express” and “defend” “editorial pluralism” in France on Friday (March 18, 2022), as the French publishing world grapples with a rare crisis following the departure of Grasset’s CEO Olivier Nora, attributed by many authors to the ultraconservative billionaire Vincent Bolloré.
“In France, we remain attached to everything that makes our strength, in particular, the freedom of authors, their quality, the role of the publisher,” declared the French President to journalists while visiting the Paris Book Fair. “It is very important to express, to defend this pluralism,” he added.
Emmanuel Macron stated that he has “great respect for these major publishing houses,” citing Gallimard and Grasset. “These are houses that deserve respect,” “a catalog is a literary story, and then it is the freedom of these authors,” he assessed. The publisher “is part of the literary heritage,” the president further stated. When asked about the relevance of a conscience clause for authors, he replied, “it is certainly something that needs to be reflected upon.”
Writers Take a Stand
Around 170 writers have shaken the usually discreet world of publishing by making the unprecedented decision to refuse to publish new books with Grasset in protest against the “dismissal” of Olivier Nora, who has been at the helm for 26 years.
Read more: After the dismissal of Olivier Nora, the prestigious publishing house Grasset is facing an exodus of its authors
In an open letter, these authors – with profiles as diverse as Virginie Despentes, Bernard-Henri Lévy, Sorj Chalandon, Anne Sinclair, or Anne Berest – denounce “an unacceptable attack on editorial independence.”
Read more: The list of 120 authors who have announced their departure from the publisher Grasset
This uprising comes as the Paris Book Fair opened on Thursday night at the Grand Palais. With 450 exhibitors and 1800 authors expected, the entire sector is present, except for most of the publishing houses, notably Grasset, belonging to Hachette, the leading French publishing group, controlled by Vincent Bolloré.
Swiss Authors: Ramuz, Cendrars, Chessex… At Grasset, a fruitful relationship with Switzerland
Publishers Decry an “Ideological War”
Over 200 publishers, including Antoine Gallimard, believe that the dismissal of Grasset’s CEO Olivier Nora reflects “a cultural and ideological war waged openly,” according to a tribune published on Friday in the newspaper Le Monde.
“This decision marks an unprecedented upheaval: a media and editorial group does not hide its political intentions and is waging a cultural and ideological war openly,” declare these publishers. “The stakes go far beyond the literary world,” assert the publishers in their tribune. “The diversity of catalogs, the pluralism of opinions and creation, the respect for editorial freedom are essential principles for the preservation of democracy,” they affirm.
