How I gained my life (in / of) writing, 6 Adventure Book Inter
My second novel arrives in bookstores in the month From January 1998. A few weeks later, he is subject (if I souviensbien) three papers praise the first - and not the less - in LeMagazine Literary. This article by Daniel Martin will conséquencesconsidérables because it will encourage Michel Deville to read the novel and make unfilm (I will return in the next episode). The second articleby in Les Inrockuptibles, the third in Liberation. AThis occasion I discovered the strange rite of photo shoots. A little avantque the book does so, POL suggested I make an appointment with sonphotographe assigned, at which time it was John Foley. This is not the premièrefois we meet: it to me photographed in 1988 for The Vacation . I did not want to show me then, but, anyway, nobody n'ademandé my picture. John is very tall, very thin, extremely courteous etprofondément nice. It takes me wandering around the streets most calmesdu Latin Quarter and on the banks of the Seine, and makes me speak for myself that I faireoublier shot. I spend two hours with him very pleasant, sansme doubt that my photo sessions are far from over. For even queP.OL fact take pictures of all of its writers who are willing, magazines and journals that publish book reviews take often publish pictures taken just for this. The Inrocks choose from in the work of John, but Liberation sent me another photographer, a portrait and choose "romantic" a MartinWinckler without glasses, his hand over his heart as a young Victor Hugo.Jamais I expected, taking this pose, the daily choisiraitcelle one! Over the months, I will be increasingly sought by despériodiques many and varied and independent photographers who want to "have me in their image bank." I understand the need forthe photographers in this visual world, to produce their own
images, but I can not help that pourquelqu'un who do not live in his image but his pen, to pose dutemps is lost.
Besides the two newspapers mentioned above, the press speaks little disease ... However, the book makes its chemin.Les booksellers like it very much and recommend it to their customers . C'estune good news, as regards the second novel of an unknown.
Book Selection for Inter, announced in the month Demars 1998 if I remember correctly, is another good news. My novel faitpartie a list of ten titles, chosen by some forty reviews (whose name is kept secret) Parisian and provincial governments. The novels récompenséspar a price fall are excluded from selection. The Book Inter Thisyear then, will be awarded in early May.
I know Livre Inter, of course: quelquesannées earlier I, like many French, wrote two letters to or troisreprises France Inter in the hope of being part of the jury. Lesvingt-four jurors are auditors, the president is a writer. He, moreover, who earlier this year, launched the call for participation lecteurs.Cette year is Daniel Pennac, himself winner of the Book Inter quelquesannées ago, who assumes this noble function.
Soon after the book came out, I am prompted to save Inter Afrance, like all other writers selected unde interviews broadcast each morning to present the books of the sélection.Un other day, I am prompted to log 13 hours to respond auxquestions Couchelle Gerard and Vincent Josse, one of chroniqueurslittéraires Inter. Both were clearly enjoying the novel and sij'en think those of my relatives who have listened to the show, it felt dansleur voice. The day of this interview, the head of cultural MaryseHazé, greets me with a warmth impressive. She loved the book, Ellemir given a tour of all the offices and introduced me to everyone.
From my side, I can hardly believe that I can remporterle price. Other selected included among others Iegor Gran, author of a terrific first novel, Ipso Facto , also in POL etFrançois Good (for Impatience, I think). If I remember correctly, among the names chosen are also Weyergans Francis, Marc Villard etd'autres seasoned writers. My book does not weigh very heavily before cespointures. Especially since it is the longest, most daunting, most déprimantde list - talk about liter disease ... Nobody will read this!
I was wrong, and I have proof that long before the Book Selection Committee will meet Inter. Between January and May 1998, he will vendupresque eight thousand copies of the novel, which was already a great success forthe second book of an unknown. Primarily responsible for this success: Lebouche-of-mouth and the work of booksellers - who in reality are lecteurscomme others: they want to earn their living selling books, of course, but preferably the books they love. And many librairesaiment much Sachs disease. However, many booksellers lecteursinterrogent before buying books. Librairesconnaissent and good taste of their regulars, or, if they do connaissentpas, know how to identify them by making them talk about what they liked.
I should note that 1998 is commercialementparlant, a year very different from what the years 2010-2011 onthe sale of books. The same year, along with books PaoloCoehlo and Mary Higgins Clark, bestselling insured, a novel MichelHouellebecq (The Elementary Particles ), another FrançoiseChandernagor ( The first wife) will sell several thousand copies centainesde while The first sip of beer dePhilippe Delerm, published last year, is a phenomenon bookstore quidépasse these figures! The time is ripe to books, much more than cesdernières years.
The initial success of Sachs disease estévidemment very rewarding for me. The book sells, it shows on lesrelevés POL receives daily that: it "fate" (autrementdit: booksellers control) between 50 and 100 per day, and grosvendeurs like FNAC in command several times more hundreds. The rewards are more personal, more intimate. One day, I sign at Le Mans in the bookstore "plural" (formerly "The Mole"), my library of election since I live in laSarthe. Among the dozen people who heard about my book etviennent me to sign, between a young woman of about thirty annéesaccompagnée of his parents, a couple in their sixties.
The young woman explained: "I'm delirious your book. I bought it after hearing you speak to Gerard journalde Courchelle. I am a doctor. Previously, I was an intern enneurologie. And then, after making replacements, I would not êtreneurologue all my life. I decided to turn to general medicine. Quandj'ai made this decision, my family was surprised she did not understand I paspourquoi wanted to change fields, going to work in the countryside, making home visits. And then, you published your book, I read, I offered to my parents ... "At his side, his mother speaks etajoute:" And since I've read I, too, I understand ... "
Initially skeptical of the idea of winning the LivreInter, I start to believe it. This is a major prize, the only one I respectesans reserve. Even if the jury foreman and 26 th Member (lelauréat the previous year) are writers, it is awarded by readers independent. And Thisyear then they will vote without the double vote of the chairman. For Daniel Pennac repeatedly requested by the cultural department of France Inter for présiderle jury, has agreed to chair the express condition of not voting. Iltient to have no influence on the final decision.
Discussion Paper Inter are recorded. Chaqueauditeur receive, within days of the award, lescassettes Record. One female audience member jury quelquesmois later I will make a copy of his own. From the beginning of the meeting, onentend Pennac says he will not give his opinion on the books - they all read, as the jurors - and not vote. For her part, Nancy Huston, winner of last year, did speak briefly, by phone, as she is abroad on polling day. That year, the prixest awarded following a discussion between jurors readers, and them alone.
If he does not participate in debate, Daniel Pennac has néanmoinsune opinion. He will have the opportunity to express it clearly once prixdécerné, I do not betray a secret, revealing that some semainesavant award Livre Inter, he wrote to the team POL enthousiastequi letter essentially says (I quote from memory): "When I received the dixbouquins selected, I decided to get rid of the biggest in commençantpar him. After reading it, I wondered how the other nine allaientpouvoir prevail. "
It is terribly good to receive complimentsdes readers and a writer we admire very much. When we start espérerun success hypothetical is terribly painful. Some joursavant Award, I feel despair: no one can ever predict PRELIMINARY the result of a vote as passionate as the Inter Paper. But every time I heard Prize jurors tell their discussions, they insistésur their vivacity and the fact that many jurors who arrive at franceinter with "their" book and want either one, and not another, who is elected. When two books stand out frankly and separate into two equal groups lesjurés almost (this was the case in 1999, Book Inter dontj'étais the juror of honor), the debates are very lively and CHAIRMAN'S voice, which counts double, can make a difference. Suffice to say that rienn'est played. However, I began to believe that price and my book, my desire to see his qualities recognized-and with them, my qualities as a writer - is very strong, and j'associeintimement this desire for recognition to the relationship I had with père.Le my book it is - with three other doctors - dedicated. Unlike my mother, who saw me publish The Vacation, my father will never know that I suisdevenu writer and I wrote a novel, deeply marked by what he bequeathed m'aenseigné and symbolically. I always felt that human sesqualités were not recognized at fair value. However, this book estécrit to his memory, Bruno Sachs is inhabited by the painful humanitéet mixture of sadness that I saw in him. And I am filled with an intense feeling dedésespoir the idea and most likely, the Book Inter seraattribué another book than mine, because neither the support of booksellers and deslecteurs or appreciation of Daniel Pennac not guarantees that lesvingt-four jurors will agree with them. Besides, if I swore auLivre Inter, I do not want anyone - or a writer or bookseller autrelecteur - affects my choice.
I feel so desperate that I write to Paul pourlui to express my relief, and he replied, once again, with amitiéet intelligence (he already, he will again). No price valeurabsolue and Book Inter does not escape this reality, if a novel crown, it says nothing about the qualities of its author if a writer puts in value, anything that nedit he has written or will write next. It was an accident, not definitive Unguja. And he adds: "Come spend the evening in Paris avecJean Paul and me on Sunday when the jury meets. If you win the prize Onira dinner with jurors. Otherwise we will drown our sorrow in alcoolsdivers and varied. "
This message comforts me and helps raise monangoisse and feelings of unworthiness that I feel so strongly interested in what PRICES AND feeling so depressed at the thought of not receiving it. On that day, I merenda in Paris, very relaxed with the idea that in any way, I'm going unesoirée with two friends.
After waiting that my hosts are long maisque I do not pass, because the drink put me in the mood and I started talking àbeaucoup (it never needs push me, must say ...) the téléphonesonne. A member the cultural department of France Inter juryvient we announced that we attribute to the Book Inter.
I say "we" because in my eyes, publish chezP.OL has always been a collective enterprise. I told elsewhere on this blog relationpersonnelle my history with Paul Otchakovsky-Laurens, but I would never say assezcombien the atmosphere of the house and the relationship I have with eachof the five members and some its writers is, in itself, basically my job. This was true before I became a known writer, it's estencore since. As I have said many times, for all POL lesécrivains that I happened to meet a successful author of Lamaison is not only the success of the author, but that of all Lamaison . Past successes or recent Belletto Rene Marie Darrieussecq, Emmanuel Carrere, Emmanuelle Pagano, Atiq Rahimi, Iegor Gran, Robert Bobert etbien other heart-warming to me because they allowed to publish home decontinuer remaining in demanding line of Paul. When Paul has replied by phone that evening, he raised the arm and said "Onl'a. And we all jumped for joy. I hastened to call PJ forthe prevention (our great about him and were quite excited too) etpuis while perky, we went home from the radio. ;
In a large hall where they had installed grandest round, twenty-four jurors, the Cultural Services Team Inter etquelques guests welcomed us very warmly. Obviously, j'étaiseuphorique and I kept talking. (Later, two jurors who voted for n'avaientpas (or disliked) my book even told me with a smile: "Cafait pleasure to see how much you're happy, it comforts us ..." )
I remember the pleasure of Daniel Pennac quin'avait nothing hinted his preference (the jurors confirmed cesoir me then and I could ascertain by listening Registration quelquessemaines discussions later), he felt more of a writer seeing that player Lamaladie ... was praised by the jury. I also remember (and it really makes me laugh, now) of the handshake and words of the President of Radio-France and Jean-Luc Hees (then director of franceinter) congratulating myself "officially" . But I do not remember much plustrès the rest of the night, nor of course of the night, lost in the brumesdu champagne and conversation.
I remember very well however the announcement duLivre Inter noon the following day at the end of the log of 13 hours. Daniel Pennacannonce title winning novel by Book Inter, several jurors parlentdes debates, and passing me the word, Gerard Courchelle wonder what jeressens. I say that I am extremely honored to receive the most grandprix readers existing in France and that old listener Inter déjàplusieurs I once wrote to the jury. In vain. But this time, I wrote a letter to five hundred pages and I'll finally be sworn ... next year. At the end of the conversation, Courchelle said: "I think you're a big fan of the series Emergencies?" He said in a friendly but amused, referring to the presence and del'auteur characters from Emergencies in the acknowledgments of roman.Je answer, with a seriousness that surprises no doubt that Emergencies isa huge series, which I have devoted several important articles (in Generation Series and News series in 1996-1997) and in my eyes is the TV drama a form of artistic expression apart entirely, which deserves more respect.
I answered this tit for tat, without asking dequest. This sentence I will be reminded many times by lecteursvenus meet me at book fairs and bookstores during moisqui follow. Men and women of all ages will approach moitimidement, a copy of Generation Series or volume of Art éditionsHuitième hand, wondering if "I am willing" ledédicacer. And every time they say to me in substance: "Before you express quevous and on the antenna of France Inter, I was ashamed of youThat I watched TV series. Hear a writer say queregarder recognized series is not silly or stupid, it gave me a bienfou. "
These confidences put me in the heart balm. Mêmeque of Georges Perec had, unknowingly, to have guilt-free luessentiellement popular literature, I could tourdéculpabiliser viewers of my taste for fiction.
You tell me that this kind of gratification semblesecondaire next to the celebrity that comes with a literary prize, but As I have explained in previous episodes, my "career" described television took a lot of relief along with my succèsd'écrivain. The two sets of memories are therefore very closely linked.
Where does the success? There is no doubt what book did much to Inter Sachs disease, for me etpour POL home overnight, the novel - which was already selling trèsbien for the book from a stranger - was made from as little pains.On found throughout the France, including all those tiny dots of best-selling book of the smaller villages. Every morning at nine o'clock pendantdes month, Paul or John Paul called me to tell me: "It estsorti (a staggering), we reprint (which is still plusastronomique). And we began to laugh like whales. It was lerire children who can not believe what happens to them. One day this Paulme a writer he published well before founding POLL'écrivain in question (which I was a long drive ...) tells me avecun big smile, "Oh, it's you who feed us, àprésent! "And I feel proud to contribute, in turn, Ala reputation and health of the house.
I can enjoy success with even more pleasure and even less of ulterior motives, once again, this duLivre Inter, not a prizes awarded by a jury immovably suspectd'avoir always been influenced. Moreover, outside the three articles mentioned audébut of this text, most of the media "institutional" devoted to books have no, or little talked about Sachs disease. Lesuccès popular book published by POL seems to surprise many. Certainscritiques, moreover, did not conceal their perplexity. Daniel Pennac meconfiera hearing a criticism about my famous novel, lequalifiant of "beach book" (it is true that we read it beaucoupsur beaches, that summer and I remember several times that he signed copies avecplaisir still full of sand ...) and a autrecritique entrusts Pennac he does not understand that so many readers read unlivre "difficult . What Pennac replied: "Ifyou think it is difficult, because you have not read." In The World, the only major item that does not mention ferapas under the World of Books , but aside the month dejuillet 1998, two months after the award, primarily to share of sasurprise. (See this article .) In Telerama, morbidity should wait until September for a snippet to say about "Good, Vule success, you have probably already read, but we wanted to tell you that aimeaussi it very much, this book .... " The respected journal The Matricule Angels (created in 1992) there will be no reference. When Read, Daniel Pennac to publish the book following lemois Inter, a chronicle that clearly expresses personal sonappréciation the novel, but it is the only article that the magazine consacreraau novel (or Moreover, in almost all of my books later ...) and ils'agit a "favorite", not a criticism proprementparler. (And no, Sachs disease nefigure not in the list of "Twenty Best Books of the Year" Read éluspar in 1998.)
Other significant story: no television literary Desem of the time did invite me to talk about monlivre. In September 1998, for his return, Bernard Pivot dedicates the first "Bouillon Culture of the season to medical writers and Ades books on physicians. When I hear about, I pensenaïvement be invited, but it will not be the case. Bernard Pivot is contenterade quote at the end of the show "the book that everyone has déjàentendu talk." During the ten years that follow, I will not be in a literary program jamaisinvité television to talk about one of my novels, EXCEPT A book a day , issue of three-vignette minutesdiffusée daily F3 .
We can not say that the success of Sachs (no more than my reputation later) soitdû to literary programs. It is not due either to the sole influence DeFrance Inter. Certainly, the chain echoes the book that bears his label, but it has done to all winners and no books or primésauparavant subsequently has won similar success in terms Deventer. Add that among the eight novels that I have published since 2004, troisont very successful (several tens of thousands of exemplairesvendus) without none has been supported by TV and DeFrance Inter. My last novel to date, LeChœur women, has been reviewed favorably by many newspapers etblogs but (I believe) in any media audio-visual look. A foisencore, its success (60,000 copies sold, which is considerable pourl'économie Book of 2009) due mainly to the work deslibraires and word-of-mouth. I have to wonder how many books today, owe their success to television or radio ...
When, in 1998, I was asked how j'expliquaisle success of my novel, I replied, smiling: "It may êtreparce that Sachs disease is a contagious disease ..."
Seriously, I think the success of a livrene can not be explained simply. It is the product of a beam decirconstances. The nature and content of the book are included, as well as' personality of the author but the economic conditions, préoccupationscollectives the moment, booksellers, readers themselves are élémentsdéterminants impossible to measure. To compare what is comparable: Lapremière sip of beer (which has sold more than disease) had received no échoparticulier in the media before meeting his large audience, and how successfully the Elementary Particles (which in current edition at least, did not sell as much as Sachs ) was the result of an extremely well-planned launch sonéditeur, a mass media outlet - powered by controversies autourde award Goncourt - and a word-of-mouth undeniable. (Peuimporte what one might think of Elementary Particles it seraitinsultant and stupid to say that he sold because he faisaitscandale. He would never have been so successful had it not numberin touched readers in France and elsewhere.)
Anyway, the success of my book recontra made me, overnight, a writer known and applied. This quisignifiait two things: first, that I would be be called faireacte presence and to give my opinion on countless occasions, to Elsewhere, now that I have a lot of work.
During the ten years that followed, I publiébeaucoup, many, many. I will return to the multiple reasons cettehyperactivité editorial, but at the time, success was quickly triggered deuxréflexions. First, and knowing that it was certainly favorable decirconstances, I thought that such success colossal novel (330 000 copies in edition POL, a hundred thousand in France-Loisirs, more decent pocket mile, fifteen translations, a movie!) does m'arriveraitplus ever. Then I had in mind several books that held my heart And to whom I had never been written before. I said: "It's time to put you there."
And that's what I did.
(To be continued ...)
