How did you get to Mellionnec?
“Before arriving in Mellionnec, Robin and I ran a bookstore in Rouen. Even then we wanted to open a bookshop in the countryside. In the city we were one of the many bookstores. However, it seemed to us that we would be more useful where there is no access to books. So we searched Normandy. Then, by chance, we went to visit a friend in Mellionnec. We liked the village ”.
Weren’t you afraid of opening a bookshop in a village of a few hundred inhabitants?
“During the investigation, we found that there was nothing within a sufficiently large radius around Mellionnec. If there is a printing house that sells books in Rostrenen, the first real closest bookshop was in Pontivy, almost a 40-minute drive away. Just to buy a book … And then I don’t count only on the population of the municipality but on that of a living area. For a bookstore, it takes 10,000 to 20,000 inhabitants to hold. Our approach is not just commercial; she is above all an activist ”.
And why is Mellionnec more than another rural municipality in Kreiz Breizh?
“I told you, we already liked the village. And then it seemed dynamic with a strong cultural identity, with the presence of Ty Film in particular. There is real fertile ground here ”.
How did you find the location to open your library?
“It wasn’t easy. We had a friend who lived in Place de l’Eglise and since he didn’t live on the ground floor, he offered it to us.”
You opened in September 2018. How did it go in the beginning?
“The first year of business went very well, with many people walking in the door. I even exceeded my predictions. After in 2020 we had to close due to the covid; it was disturbing. People couldn’t go out, but there is a great outpouring of solidarity with the people who send us checks for future orders. I can say that it was at that moment that we learned that the bookshop had found its territory and its clientele ”.
Who exactly are your customers?
“From Mellionnec and the surrounding towns. Our readers know that our approach is committed and that for a bookstore like ours to exist, it must be supported by the population. An association, Le Poulpe, accompanies us and organizes two events a year with the Printemps de la lecture and Songs in the houses. On 10 and 11 September there was the library party for its four years of existence. And we are members of the federation of bookstore cafes in Brittany, which can bring us occasional customers. “
