“2021 will be remembered as an exceptional year for the book », Welcomed Vincent Montagne, president of the National Publishing Union (SNE), during His wishes to the publishing world, explaining that all sectors combined, excluding digital and audio books, the book market recorded a 20% increase in value last year compared to 2020.
Comics, general literature, youth, practical life, art books … all genres have been acclaimed by readers, with a special mention for the manga whose sales have reached 50 million copies. The president of the Média-Participations group wants to see in this global success the expression of “The essential place that books and reading have occupied in our society”.
→ INVESTIGATION. 2021, a flamboyant year for the book sector
After a slight decline of 2.3% for 2020 – good results having been partly offset by losses linked to bookstore closures during lockdowns – the past year allows the edition to post a remarkable increase. The classification by decree, in February 2021, of bookstores as ” essential shops », Following the strong commitment of the interprofession of books to the government, is a recognition in which Vincent Montagne wants to see that of books as ” essential “. He also welcomes the deployment of the culture pass, “Great opportunity to allow all our young people to have privileged access to culture and reading”.
Extension of the culture pass
The generalization of the culture pass in May 2021, supported by a network of 2,991 participating booksellers, enabled 56% of purchases by 18-year-olds, who were offered 426,000 books during the year. In 2022, the culture pass will be extended to all adolescents.
→ MAINTENANCE. “The French had an impetus towards reading and books during confinement”
In December, two bills concerning the book were definitively voted, one aiming “To consolidate the book economy”, protecting independent booksellers against the giants of e-commerce, the other relating to libraries, including in the heritage code the missions that govern them.
In this legislative device, Vincent Montagne wants to see the reaffirmation, again, of “The essential place of books and reading in our society”, forty years after the Lang law was passed on the single book price.
Consolidate efforts
2022 will be the year of the consolidation of efforts, in the context not to be neglected of a lack of raw materials and in particular of paper, “Shortage which could have an impact on the price of the book”, underlined the president of the SNE. 2022 will also see the continuation of the campaign in favor of reading, “Great national cause” wanted by President Emmanuel Macron and which includes the initiative to generalize the culture pass to all young people.
On this occasion, the National Book Center has just launched a communication campaign aimed at all French people and in particular the youngest, deployed from January to March in stations in France, on street furniture in Paris, in the media. and on social networks.
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