Since the beginning of the month of June, along the parapets of the quays of the Seine, nearly two-thirds of the boxes green color car remain closed. A few passers-by slow down to the rare survivors, before leaving as soon in the maze of streets nearby.

read also : the closure of The library Boulinier triggers a wave of emotion and indignation in Paris

Since the crisis of the coronavirus, a lot of bookstores iconic have been forced to close up shop, such as the mythical teaches Boulinier, and it is now the turn of these merchants of books in the open air to sound the alarm.

Too long seen as ” tramps péripatéticiens making the sidewalk “, says Jérôme Callais, who keeps his boxes for the last 28 years, the booksellers are the direct heirs of the hawkers and perpetuate, however, are a French tradition old of the Sixteenth century. Registered in the intangible cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture for 2018, they embody in themselves an image of France that the new generation does not want to see it go. Two students from Bordeaux, Gregory Cazcarra, President and founder of the citizens movement, The Engaged, and Cloé Artaut, its coordinator, have launched a petition to “Save the second-hand bookshops, a challenge of civilization!”, for this profession, which was more than ever in need of support.

booksellers embody in themselves a certain idea of France, that the new generation does not want to see it go. Leah MabilonÀ read also : the history of The booksellers told in The Figaro Littéraire 1910

see also – Franck Boulinier, director of libraries Boulinier: “The Quartier Latin is no longer what it was”