Founded in 1972 by Pierre Marchand and Jean-Olivier Héron, Gallimard Jeunesse quickly saw the arrival within its walls of Hedwige Pasquet, today president of the prestigious house. Taking advantage of his stay in Quebec which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the publishing house, The duty has listened to this great lady who recounts with enthusiasm and serenity the path travelled.
If a few children’s books, including Macao and Cosmage or the experience of happiness by Edy Legrand, The tales of the perched cat by Marcel Aymé or even The little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, enriched the Gallimard catalog in the first part of the last century, the creation of the youth department in the 1970s gave the sector an initial boost.
“When Pierre Marchand and Jean-Olivier Héron had this project to devote themselves to children’s literature […] they wanted to give young people a taste for books and reading by drawing on the fund of Éditions Gallimard which you can imagine, very rich […]but above all make them want to read by offering them books in a very neat presentation […] “Says the president on the phone. Thus, the jackets of novels by Bosco, Kessel, Hemingway and Doyle were illustrated by Étienne Delessert, Enki Bilal or Georges Lemoine in the 1000 suns collection.
Since that time, society has been transformed and has necessarily modified the work of the editor. Among the changes, there is first, Hedwige Pasquet tells us, the reader himself. “When Gallimard Jeunesse started, the collections were aimed at children who could read […] Today, our audience ranges from babies to young adults, and even adults who have kept their teenage soul. »
The content of the works has also been modulated, children’s literature being, says the president, “a real sponge of the evolution of society”. “And I would also dare to claim that we have a certain influence on society. For example, Harry Potter really changed a lot of habits. He did a lot of reading. And what is said less is that JK Rowling also wrote […] It has inspired many authors. Timothée de Fombelle and Christelle Dabos in the lead.
Pasquet also asserts that the profession of publisher is much more complex today than 50 years ago. “It’s a job that ranges from craft to industrial, so it leads us to do the splits. Computers, the Internet and social networks have particularly transformed the way of working, but above all, they have allowed publishers to get closer to readers. “For a very long time, the publisher was not in direct contact with readers, except if he went to salons, conferences, bookstores, etc. However, today, the Internet is a mine of information for us. If only to see the comments that are made on the works, to detect trends, that’s it. But also, we can address our audience directly through social networks […] to alert them to our upcoming publications, our projects, so that they can go to bookstores. »
Be close to readers
Being close to its readers, offering them stories that touch them, remains an element dear to the house. The president spoke in particular of Melvin Burgess, an author who played an important role in this desire to address young people. “We published junk in 1998 […] Burgess was a great author. He said that if you want young people to read, you have to give them subjects that interest them. The editor explains that it was their responsibility to publish this novel.
will follow Lady: my life as a female dog and other equally buoyant titles. “We have no taboos. We have a collection like Scripto, for example, where we tackle rape, incest, the first feelings of love, genres. There are all subjects. What is important for us is to meet sincere authors. We are not provocative, we are not taking sides. And these works can be useful to young people who realize that they are not isolated in their situation. […] It can help them independently of all the pleasure of reading which is for us the first objective. Develop the pleasure of reading and provoke the meeting of the book and the child. »
This ability to discern trends, to know how to adapt to the readership, is also what gives Gallimard Jeunesse its strength and success. The president says that the house also wants to give young people the opportunity to understand, “to forge themselves a critical mind, and not always succumb to cancel culture. There is one thing that is very important to us, and that is to defend freedom of thought. So, all these current trends which are unfortunately a characteristic of our society, it is our responsibility to deal with them in our works”.
And all this journey told by Hedwige Pasquet comes to life in an anniversary book on the 50th anniversary of Gallimard Jeunesse written by Marie Lallouet, and which will soon be available. A great way to have children’s literature recognized as being above all literature. An objective that remains omnipresent in the approach of the president.