INQUIRY EUROPE 1
The Salon du livre and the youth press opened this Wednesday in Montreuil near Paris for its 35th edition. With nearly 200,000 visitors each year, it is becoming more and more important. And this year has a strong international dimension.
And for good reason, the youth literature in France is extremely rich. More than 10,000 books were published last year in France, from primer for toddlers to literature for adolescents.
Publishers from many countries
At the head of the show for 18 years, Sylvie Vassalo has seen the eyes of the world turn to Montreuil in recent years. "The youth literature in France is one of the most beautiful in the world, and we've realized over time that more and more foreign publishers are coming to see the show. to invite major international authors whose texts are translated in France ", she confides to the microphone of Europe 1.
In the exhibition aisles, alongside the major French publishers, there are Lebanese, Moroccan, Swiss, Canadian and Polish publishers. Proof of this is that Montreuil stands out as a relay of the international scene of children's literature.
Work with foreign embassies
Moreover, the organizers of the show decided to expand their network by working with embassies of foreign countries. "We are really very happy with this partnership, for us it is yet another way to show the links between France and the United States and to introduce American literature to young French people," enthuses the microphone. 1 Brian Bauer, attaché in charge of culture at the American embassy in France. "We are also taking advantage of the salon brand to work together on American culture and literature." Each year, the youth edition nibbles away shares in the adult literature regarding the sale of rights abroad.
The curious who wander through the aisles of the following can discover an immense diversity of manga, the works of the Spanish author David Nello, or classics of Anglo-Saxon literature, such as those of Roald Dahl, JK Rowling, or Michael Morpurgo, who wrote Warhorse , on the screen by Steven Spielberg. For the English author, the diversity of the works presented in Montreuil is an immense chance for young French readers: "They read the ideas, the stories of writers from all over the world and that gives them an empathy They understand better the lives of others It's important because it's unique in the world. " The Book and Youth Press Fair is open until Monday.