The independent bookstore Les Parleuses will close its doors on May 13. Founded in 2018, the Nice location had created a space combining books, debates, and commitments. This closure follows several years marked by sustained cultural activity and a legal episode surrounding freedom of expression.
The bookstore Les Parleuses, located in the center of Nice, will cease its activities on May 13. This date marks the end of a place opened in 2018 by Anouk Aubert and Maud Pouyé. Eight years come to a close. A cycle ends, according to the founders. “After eight extraordinary years filled with wonderful encounters and literary enthusiasm, new projects are taking us elsewhere.” In their message, the two booksellers describe a change of trajectory leaving the door open to the beginning of a new adventure.
A final meeting is planned with the public. “An unforgettable novel” will be offered. The evening promises to be focused on exchanges. “We hug, we say goodbye […] but above all we say THANK YOU!”
A cultural space anchored in the city
Les Parleuses occupied a former bistro. The venue located on Rue Defly combined a bookstore and café. Two distinct spaces structured the whole: one part welcomed an adult audience, another, located across the street, was dedicated to youth.
The project was based on a professional reconversion. Anouk Aubert and Maud Pouyé come from the National Education system. Backgrounds in teaching and school life. This choice of creation reflected a desire to extend a form of transmission. The book became a support for discussion.
The name Les Parleuses refers to a book of conversations between Marguerite Duras and Xavière Gauthier. This reference places the bookstore in a tradition of dialogue. The editorial line clearly assumed a position: feminist and gender issues held an important place in the curated selection.
Regular meetings set the rhythm of the venue’s life. Book presentations, discussions with female authors, public readings…, this programming contributed to establishing a local dynamic. The bookstore became a meeting place for a segment of the Nice public.
The founders described an environment where this type of initiative remained a minority. The project then took on a militant dimension.
A revealing case regarding freedom of expression
An incident that occurred in December 2022 gave the bookstore national visibility. The visit to Nice by the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin was the context for this sequence.
On this occasion, the bookstore’s window displayed messages about violence against women. This initiative accompanied the showcasing of Hélène Devynck’s book Impunité.
The intervention of law enforcement swiftly followed. The window was covered with a black curtain. An action that provoked an immediate reaction. The decision was perceived as an infringement of freedom of expression, resulting in legal proceedings.
The Administrative Court of Nice delivered a decision more than three years after the events. The judgment acknowledged an illegality in the covering of the window.
The State was ordered to pay compensation. The damage mentioned concerns a loss of activity as well as a “moral and reputational damage.” The significance of the judgment extends beyond the bookstore’s situation alone.
The founders’ lawyer commented on this point at the time: “The administrative judge affirmed the necessity to protect bookstores and considers them as the guardians of democracy.”
A closure as a form of transition
The closure on May 13 is part of this story. The place disappears, but the traces remain. The activities carried out over eight years have built a network, significant meetings, discussions about literature in a space meant to exist. The final announced evening will continue this logic of a moment meant to be shared.
A page turns for Les Parleuses. Another chapter begins elsewhere.
