In the Liberation district of Nice lies “Le Vestiaire à Mot.” Opened in April 2024 by former journalist Marc-Olivier Taccard, this bookstore focuses on books related to sports.
It’s a somewhat special bookstore located on Boulevard Joseph Garnier that has recently opened its doors. The entire sports ecosystem is represented there with novels, photo books, biographies, and even mangas. Between 2,000 and 2,500 books can be found at “Le Vestiaire à Mot.” However, there’s no need to worry for classic book enthusiasts, as a small area called “offside” is also in place. Marc-Olivier Taccard, the manager of the bookstore, can also order any type of book like in a traditional bookstore.
Why Sports?
Sports literature has always existed, and Marc-Olivier Taccard wanted to pay tribute to it. A former sports journalist, he has always worked within the sports world. It’s an environment he knows well, so it was almost natural for him. He also realized that a bookstore dedicated to sports didn’t exist, even though there is material for it. There are books about performances, as well as about sports themselves, both amateur and professional. Philosophers and writers have also shown interest in the sports domain or in a particular athlete and decided to write about it.
The bookstore is organized according to the themes found in classic bookstores. Marc-Olivier Taccard finds this important to avoid having some sections more filled than others. “I like that lesser-known sports like pétanque are alongside books on football, for example,” he explains. This diversity is also reflected in the authors. The more well-known ones are mixed with emerging authors. It’s a good way to highlight less widely distributed authors. His favorite book, moreover, is by his friend Valentin Deudon, often present at the bookstore and author of “Miettes Footballistiques.” Not being distributed in major chains has allowed him to gain recognition.
A Bookstore, But Not Just That
For Marc-Olivier Taccard, the goal is not only to sell books. He wants his bookstore to be a real “place of life and sharing.” To achieve this, several initiatives are in place. Being focused on a niche genre, he was advised to broaden his business plan. Therefore, there’s a coworking space with two areas for meetings, team buildings, and even seminars. He wants to show that sports can be integrated into companies in various forms. Writing workshops already exist, and he plans to establish drawing, video, eloquence, and art-therapy workshops. Currently, he is still looking for the right professionals to conduct them. An alternate in communication will join him in the fall to work on these offerings.
People can also come to the bookstore to enjoy a drink or have a conversation. Books are available for perusal if there’s any uncertainty, although the main goal remains selling. Book signings are regularly organized with authors and even athletes. The most recent one was with Alizé Cornet, a tennis player and also an author, who visited on Saturday, July 27th. A meeting with readers that excited the freshly retired player: “It’s different from when I was on the courts; here, these are meetings in addition to signings since we have the opportunity for real exchanges. It’s much more human.”
These events are made for those interested as well as for the curious. Different worlds mix, and it’s an opportunity for moments of sharing. This was the case for Mathis, a 3-year-old who has been playing tennis for a year and came with his mother to meet Alizé Cornet. After the autographs, the two women were able to chat about tennis, with the player sharing her professional experiences and the mother asking for advice.
Besides introducing his bookstore, some people not initially involved in the sports world come out of curiosity and end up getting interested, asking questions, and sometimes even leaving with a book. Other authors and athletes covering heavier themes like Ouissem Belgacem with homophobia in sports and Arnaud Ramsay who tells a story from World War II about two international footballers are set to appear.
It can be said that with this space, Marc-Olivier Taccard has never really left his journalism profession and continues to nurture it. However, he does not currently have the desire to write a book himself: “I think it takes a trigger, something that needs to come from within oneself.”
