The coronavirus epidemic caused the cancellation of the Livre Paris fair, which was scheduled for March 20 to 23, inflicting a severe blow on a publishing sector which is suffering economically. " Following government decisions to ban gatherings of more than 5,000 people in confined spaces, we have regretfully decided to cancel the 2020 edition ," said the president of the show, Vincent Montaigne, in a press release Sunday night.
“ Our sense of responsibility obliges us to take no risk with the health of all those who make the success of Livre Paris: publishers, exhibitors, authors, speakers, partners coming from more than 50 countries, and of course our public. family of more than 160,000 visitors each year, ”continues Mr. Montagne, who also chairs the National Publishing Syndicate (SNE).
Italy in 2021
For the 39th edition of the show last year, came to Paris Expo Porte de Versailles " 3000 authors and 100 exhibitors from nearly 50 countries ". The organizers noted " a very slight drop in attendance (-2%) in a context and social news tense ". The event was held in the midst of a protest against " yellow vests ", with Saturday March 16, violence and looting of shops in the Champs-Elysées district.
" Livre Paris invites you to meet in 2021 with new promises and new discoveries around books and reading, " said Montagne. Italy was chosen as guest of honor for next year's edition, " the second market for the translation of French books ".
This year, the show was to highlight India this year. He had announced the names of 14 Indian writers to participate in debates and conferences, which will miss the opportunity to better publicize a rich literature but still little translated into French. Were announced, among French-speaking authors, novelists Michel Bussi, Didier Daeninckx or Gaël Faye, but also the philosopher Julia Kristeva, the historian Benjamin Stora or the Nobel Prize in economics Esther Duflo.