Saint-Germain-des-Prés holds its first book fair

The Saint-Germain-des-Prés district in Paris, the heart of French publishing, is launching its book fair on Saturday and Sunday, to “open to the general public” a legendary place of literature. The show, called “Pages before the beach” and completely free, welcomes 70 authors to book signings on Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

Among these, established authors such as Hervé Le Tellier, Goncourt Prize 2020, Irène Frain, Interallié Prize the same year, or Grégoire Delacourt. And newcomers like Eve Guerra or Claire Deya, respectively Goncourt prize for the first novel and Grand Prix RTL-Lire this year. “This is not a Germanopratin trade show. It’s a free fair where we will open this village which did not have a literary festival to the general public.”explains to AFP its promoter, Carole Fernandez, director of public relations at Café des Deux-Magots. “It’s also the last opportunity to stock up on books before summer”she adds.

The coincidence with the first round of the legislative elections was not voluntary, the date of the show having been fixed well before the dissolution of the National Assembly. Saint-Germain-des-Prés still hosts today some of the most prestigious publishing houses in the country: Gallimard, Grasset, Minuit, POL and L’Iconoclaste. But also literary prizes in its most famous cafés: Deux-Magots, Flore and Castel.