It all started with a joke, launched like that, more than a year ago, over the complicit and often inspired exchanges that are the meetings between Christine Thiollet, teaching librarian at the Lycée Racine (8th), and a quartet of young people of 16 and 17 rather creative and in love with words.
“You should found the
I love you!
»
Christine launches to her whimsical students, authors of a youth album with very sentimental lyrics.
A year later, Balthazar Pouilloux, Rosa Carrier, Lullaby Chauvier and Raphaël Gattegno, high school students in Racine (8th) and Condorcet (9th), have become the youngest publishers on the planet.
They took up the challenge, and their publishing house "I love you" has just released a first book, "Adolescences", which brings together the winning texts of a writing competition launched by high school students, for high school students.
"We have a lot of projects"
The beginning of an adventure in the sometimes harsh world of publishing, which these rather pugnacious young people have every intention of continuing beyond the baccalaureate, once their paths have been separated by studies and life choices.
Sciences-po, college of psychology, school of cinema… It is sworn, they will meet around “I love you”.
"We are a bunch of friends, not just high school friends, and we have a lot of projects," they say in unison.
In terms of writing, Raphaël and Balthazar are not quite at their first attempt.
“Last summer, we wrote a book together on the topic of the psychiatric hospital, and when the question arose of editing it, we thought it could be nice to do it ourselves. », Says Raphaël.
With empty pockets, no network and not really focused on business creation, supported by their documentation teacher, the two young people imagine setting up an association.
Then they needed material, which these open-minded curious people knew how to find nearby, in their classes and high schools.
"We launched a free writing competition, it took five pages, regardless of the style, beginning of a novel, a play ..." The success exceeded the hopes of the quartet: it received 29 texts.
“The goal was to publish a book from the winning texts,” says Rosa, “but also to invite many young people we know to share their writings.
"
"We focused on stylistic quality, imagination and originality"
After hours of discussions "quite passionate, very debated, we spent more than eight hours", laughs Christine Thiollet, the young people chose 8 texts.
"We had to find an editorial line, so we needed precise criteria, starting with the fact of writing for readers," asserts Balthazar with the seriousness of a professional.
“We focused on stylistic quality, imagination and originality,” adds Rosa, herself a poem author.
"Judging the writings of young people of our age, asking to rework a text, it seems complicated, especially for those we judge," she readily admits.
But after all, these students were happy to be edited, and we had the legitimacy of having completed our project.
"
Supported by their teacher and accomplice, supported by the Espace Beaujon animation center and the arts center of their school, and thanks to a financial boost from the Paris town hall as part of the Free Quarters, the teenagers entrust their " baby ”to a printing house, create a website and get started.
“Adolescences” was released at the end of March, sold for 15 euros, and all the stock is gone.
A look on cinema and music
On the strength of this first, a second book is in preparation.
A collection of poems written and illustrated by Rosa, “Infinite version”, by summer.
"The idea is to publish 3 books per year from next year", announce the young "bosses" of "I love you".
A name nod to their friendship and their debates.
"We are also thinking of creating an artistic collective work, with photos in particular", adds Rosa.
But the cultural appetite of the four high school students is never satisfied, so they also target… cinema and music! “We organized a screenplay competition to help young people make their films,” confirms Balthazar, son of a producer. Musicians too - Rosa plays the double bass and the ukulele, Raphaël is a pianist, their group Les Yellows already has its fans - they are also at the initiative of a musical comedy workshop at the Beaujon space. “Our idea is to become a sort of incubator for young creation. The more we advance, the more ambition we have ", launch the four friends, whom Christine Thiollet promises to support" as long as they do not have enough! "