Paris’s endangered booksellers plead for protection
Bouquinistes appeal for Unesco status to avoid being swamped by traders selling tourist trinkets
THEY have been described as the keepers of the “biggest open-air bookshop in the world”.
Now, Paris is pushing for its bouquinistes, booksellers who ply their trade along the Seine, to obtain Unesco intangible cultural heritage status.
With their trademark dark green stalls on the parapets overlooking the river, the bouquinistes have a rich history of selling second-hand tomes dating back to the 16th century.
Some made their fortunes by selling the libraries of guillotined aristocrats during the French Revolution, others braved death by passing on resistance messages in books during the city’s occupation by the Nazis.
But after surviving centuries of censorship, political turmoil and floods, they face a new threat: a tide of plastic Eiffel towers, love locks and other tourist knick-knacks.
In theory, the trade is strictly regulated. Each bouquiniste is allowed four boxes: three must contain books, the fourth can sell anything from prints and collectors’ fashion magazines, old postcards and souvenirs.
Yet a quick stroll on the right and left banks suggests this rule is widely to flouted, as many stands near tourist sights like Notre-Dame and SaintMichel are crammed full of Chinesemade key rings and “I love Paris” bags.
“If we wait any longer it will be too late, the trinket markets will have consumed the booksellers completely,” said Jérôme Callais, president of the cultural association of Paris bouquinistes, who is spearheading the drive for Unesco status.
He is one of just three self-professed “die-hards” among 237 bouquinistes who sell books only. “We are as important as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Montmartre. People come from far and wide to see these sights but also us,” he said. “But some of my colleagues think the writing’s on the wall, that we’re the last generation.”
This week, he received the backing of Paris’s town hall, which voted to send a request to the culture ministry for the bouquinistes to be considered for Unesco intangible heritage status. France can only put forward one request every two years and competition is fierce.
Florence Berthout, mayor of the 5th arrondissement, said: “Unesco heritage status would shine a light on an activity that shapes the intellectual identity of Paris and participates in the French cultural exception.”
Not all bouquinistes back the idea, though. Many fear that an ensuing restriction on selling non-literary items could kill them off. “We can’t live off books alone,” said Ghislaine Thibaud, a bouquiniste for 30 years who said sales had nosedived amid stiff competition from online dealers and changing tastes.
“When times are hard, an extra few euros from a photo or bag can stop us from going under.”
And one despondent vendor, Andres Brisson, said: “If I sell one book per day, its already a lot. I sell more pictures and trinkets. I frankly think the best thing to do would be to let bouquinistes die out and leave the space open, so people can make the most of the area and get a better view of the Seine.”