After a tweet criticizing their Parisian bookstore, the managers of “A book and a cup of tea”, received a wave of hatred online… but also a wave of donations. The bookstore, on the verge of bankruptcy, is now saved.
This is what we could call a great turnaround, for Juliette Debrix and Annabelle Chauvet, the two managers of the bookstore “A Book and a Cup of Tea”, in the 11th arrondissement. A week ago, they were on the verge of bankruptcy, their establishment threatened with closure. Today, the debts will be paid off and the coffers replenished.
>> TikTok and literature: a beautiful novel, a beautiful story
It all started on Monday July 10, when an independent journalist, Jérôme Godefroy, shared on Twitter an article by our colleagues from Telerama, titled “The difficult survival of small bookstores”. In this article, Juliette and Annabelle talk about the online kitty they launched to try to save their bookseller. They need 80,000 euros to be able to pay off their debt. Their library “A Book and a Cup of Tea”is presented as an activist, feminist.
“I obviously feel left out”
This is what bothers Jérôme Godefroy, who writes on Twitter that he has changed booksellers, because “dsince becoming in November 2020 “feminist bookstore”, I obviously feel excluded”. The journalist explains that it is the commitment of booksellers that bothers him, and considers that this is the reason for their economic bankruptcy: “Sorry, divisive activism is bad for business. Besides, the shop is on the verge of bankruptcy.”
A tweet, re-shared hundreds of times, and above all, which provokes a flood of hate messages aimed at the two managers. Juliette Debrix admits that she has had trouble sleeping since, because of the insulting messages she receives. “A book and a bitch” “these are two tunas”, quickly lists the bookseller. She received more than 200 of these in a few days.
A “moment of hatred that allowed love to take over”
However, while some Internet users send insults, others, moved by this surge of hatred, come to the aid of the store. Juliette and Annabelle’s online kitty has received in the last few hours alone, nearly 23,000 euros, and displays this Friday, July 14 an amount of more than 90,000 euros.
The bookseller is now saved, enough to give a big smile to this loyal customer, who has come to give a bouquet of flowers to the two booksellers. “I’m super happy for everyone. To think that it was this surge of hatred that actually allowed love to take over.”
Since then, the two managers of the bookstore have filed a complaint against X. The harassers risk up to two years in prison and a fine of €30,000.