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Culture and Fashion
In a small village at the heart of the Ecrins national park, an unusual bookshop offers a highly recommended literary program.
By Jean-Dominique Dalloz - October 25, 2011
Châteauroux-les-Alpes: one thousand inhabitants. This village in the Upper Alps is a vacation destination appreciated by mountain lovers, especially in summer. Hikers can take many different walks and appreciate the beauty of the nearby Ecrins national park. The village also features its share of local stores: grocers, hairdressers, bars, and hotel-restaurants…a quaint postcard image.
Like all mountain villages, Châteauroux braves winter months that can seem long to the locals. Fortunately, book-lovers have a unique second-hand shop at their disposal, the Epicerie Littéraire.
Like all mountain villages, Châteauroux braves winter months that can seem long to the locals. Fortunately, book-lovers have a unique second-hand shop at their disposal, the Epicerie Littéraire. Hard to miss with its facade decorated each year by a different local artist, this unusual bookstore presents a selection of almost 5,000 used books: novels, poetry, detective mysteries, children’s stories, art books… “There’s a huge choice” admits Yves Artusel, manager at Gros Textes Editions, and initiator of this project. “But we only sell what we believe in: we are purveyors of words.”
With the association Rions de Soleil,
which organizes street performances and activities throughout the year in the surrounding villages, the Epicerie Littéraire reaches out to local readers, via its truck loaded with books: “This mobility is necessary” emphasizes Yves. “When you live 40 kilometers from the closest bookshop and you need to take a road through the mountains to get there, you appreciate that we come to you to present not just books, but writing workshops and book signings with authors, or performances.”
Far from the temples of conspicuous consumption of cultural goods, the Epicerie Littéraire often stocks rare books, sometimes saved from destruction or from oblivion. Its offering may seem modest to the paragons of the mass market, but is crucial in terms of the distribution of ideas and the development of exchanges in this remote village. And it’s an initiative that has already been enjoyed by almost 2,500 people who come to visit this special store.
Discover
L’Epicerie Littéraire
Châteauroux-les-Alpes
Tél. : 04 92 49 65 31
www.rionsdesoleil.com
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- Provence
