The “I’m buying a Quebec book” initiative, which took place on August 12, once again proved to be very lucrative this year for independent bookstores. Sales of Quebec books were multiplied by seven compared to normal.
According to figures from the Bank of French-Language Titles (BTLF), ten times more Quebec novels were sold on August 12, 2022, five times more children’s books and comics compared to a normal day. All in all, 80% of the books sold on August 12 in independent bookstores were works published in Quebec, a proportion that does not usually exceed 50%.
Created in 2014 when sales of Quebec books were in decline, the “I buy a Quebec book” initiative, which has been taking place every August 12 since then, is therefore bearing fruit. With sales jumping 634% from normal, the 2022 edition was somewhat less beneficial to independent booksellers than last year. On August 12, 2021, when Quebec literature was experiencing an unexpected resurgence in popularity due to the pandemic, demand for Quebec books had increased by 672% in one day.
With the return to normal and the resumption of other cultural activities, some booksellers feared a much more marked drop this year, which ultimately did not happen.
Interest in local literature has been maintained thanks to several new features, including An extraordinary woman by Catherine Ethier, the best-selling novel in stores on August 12th. According to data published earlier last week, the author and columnist at Radio-Canada was also the top seller on the LesLibraires.ca site on August 12.
As on the site, A thousand secrets, a thousand dangers by Alain Farrah, which will soon be adapted for the cinema, ranks second in store sales. New fancy molasses by Francis Ouellet completes the podium.