The bouquinistes of Paris have won! Their boxes won’t be removed during the Olympic Games. We talked to Jérôme Callais, the president of the association of the Parisian Booksellers (or bouquinistes).
“Yes, this is a victory!” Jerôme Callais rejoices on the phone. “Our main concern was to make sure they wouldn’t touch our boxes, and they won’t!” After several months of tense negotiations with the city of Paris and the Préfecture, French President Macron stepped in. He declared on TV that the boxes would stay where they are. Period. It all started last year, when the city of Paris decided that a part of the legendary boxes that linger on the parapets overlooking the Seine would be removed for the Olympic games. A matter of security they said—the bouquinistes were very reluctant, so the city of Paris kindly offered to restore their boxes before returning them. The bouquinistes didn’t buy it. “Some of these boxes are more than 100 years old, and they are very fragile. Furthermore, it was like opening Pandora’s box. We don’t represent much to them—we don’t pay them anything, and they’re trying to get back the banks of the Seine for other projects. We were like tramps to them, we didn’t really matter.” But it all changed with the widespread support they got from all over. Intellectuals, booksellers and journalists all lined up behind them. “We want to thank everyone. It seems that the bouquinistes matter after all! I was right to say we are part of the French DNA—our boxes are part of the living patrimony of Paris.” Like one of our followers on Instagram puts it: this is the victory of common sense.
President Macron didn’t intervene just like that. Jérôme Callais wrote to him several times, and he even received a handwritten answer. In the meantime, Jérôme reminded everyone the bouquinistes are part of the French culture. It wasn’t an easy task as some bouquinistes themselves were doubtful. “Some are doing good—those with the best spots; but a lot of us hardly make ends meet,” Jérôme confesses. “Some weren’t confident. They shrugged when I told them we were part of French history and that people loved us. But now they know!”
Jérôme has even found new people to talk to at the city of Paris: “We have a new partner, and our last meeting was quite exciting. Apparently, we’re now talking to someone who cares. I think they’ve understood that we can work together, and that we have a lot to give to Paris.” It would be the perfect time to clean up the business too. Nowadays, many of these bouquinites are selling nothing but worthless “pacotille” (cheap junk). Small Eiffel Towers “made in China”, cheap reproductions of post cards, some “I Love Paris” T-shirts... This has nothing to do with the original bouquinistes, and it’s ruining their image. “Some are pushing it too far nowadays, and I’ve been asking for years the city of Paris to implement established rules about selling on the banks of the Seine. Pacotille is hurting our image, because there is too much of it but at the same time it’s also part of our tradition.” Jérôme had to sell some himself, at one point: “I was going through rough times, and pacotille saved my business, and helped me to get back on my feet. Should it stop, a hundred of bouquinistes would lock down their boxes tomorrow. We need to find a balance, here.”
If you ever come to Paris to enjoy the Olympic Games, don’t worry: the boxes will be there, as they’ve always been since they were officially authorized 1891. And it’s quite fair, as Paris wouldn’t exactly be herself without them.
T. Ehrengardt
Photo: copyright reserved
