The association read is leaving has teamed up with the independent distribution brand to promote access to reading for the youngest, and especially for the poorest.
by Nicole Vulser
Saturday March 4, the independent cultura distribution brand will sell 1.2 million children’s books at a single price of 1 euro in all of its 104 stores in France. Surprisingly, this is in no way a serious sprain in the sacro-saint unique price of the book. Unknown to the general public, the association read is to leave, founded in 1992, has set itself the objective of promoting access to reading for the youngest. And especially for the most deprived.
“In the suburbs and the countryside, many have no books at home. Our works are intended for those who do not usually buy,” explains his founder, Vincent Safrat. He had first recovered thousands of books that were going to go to the pestle to distribute them to the underprivileged, before launching his own publishing house with a social vocation.
“We sell pocket books and children’s albums at 80 cents, because we have no intermediary, underlines this 62 -year -old publisher. Printing costs us 30 cents, the prints of each novelty make 60,000 copies. “There, they will be sold at 1 euro, so that Cultura takes its margin of 20 cents on each work sold. 2>” I am very marginal and out of the system ”
With a team of 18 employees, the association has 249 titles in its catalog and generally releases 35 new features per year, systematically less than 160 pages, in order to contain the price of manufacturing. “I am very marginal and out of the system,” agrees its president, since these works are distributed mainly in schools, through educational associations or parents of students. Or bought online and also directly in three deposits.
A truck also travels the roads of France to offer them from school to school. In March, he will go through the North, in Valenciennes and Waziers, in Pas-de-Calais, Sains-en-Gohelle and Saint-Omer, in Eure, Vernon and Evreux … the president of The association ensures selling 3 million pounds per year. The most requested is none other than a great classic of Greek mythology: the 12 works of Hercules. The authors share with the illustrators a package of 3,500 euros for each novelty and they receive again, together, 1,500 euros with each reprint, assures Vincent Safrat.
The operation carried out with Cultura was the subject of a first test concluding in three stores. In Maurepas, in November 2022, 11,500 pounds were sold, then, still in the Yvelines, with pleasure, 13,500 copies were sold. More recently, in Franconville (Val-d’Oise), 7,000 of these little books found takers. The director of external relations of Cultura, Eric Lafraise, claims to have been seduced by this project. “This is not a business operation for us, but a societal act. We will just cover our costs.” Far from a dumping action intended to annoy its competitors like E.Leclerc or Fnac, he promise