Éditions du Seuil
Encyclopedia
Éditions du Seuil is a French publishing house created in 1935, currently owned by La Martinière Groupe
. It owes its name to this goal "The seuil (threshold) is the whole excitement of parting and arriving. It is also the brand new threshold that we refashion at the door of the Church to allow entry to many whose foot gropes around it" (letter of father Plaquevent, 28 December 1934).
series, and of Chairman Mao's Little Red Book. The large sales which these generated have allowed the house to publish more specialized titles, particularly in the social sciences
. Éditions du Seuil is widely respected in the publishing world maintaining good relations with its authors. Seuil has published works by Jacques Lacan
, Roland Barthes
and Philippe Sollers
(in his first period), and later by Edgar Morin
, Maurice Genevoix
and Pierre Bourdieu
. Notably, they published Frantz Fanon
's doctoral thesis, Black Skin, White Masks
, in 1952.
Similarly, Seuil's good relations with book retailers have allowed it to establish significant distribution activity, ensuring the circulation of the works of such publishers as Odile Jacob
, Éditions de Minuit, José Corti
, and Rivages.
Éditions du Seuil has also performed significant activities in children's literature
. The house has promoted and published many great French children's authors; in 2005 Éditions du Seuil was the first to offer to the public animated films included in their albums which were produced by the artists themselves, such as À Quai by Sara
and Promenade d'un distrait, by Béatrice Alemagna.
The leadership was subsequently ensured by Claude Cherki from 1989. Cherki was involved in the purchase of Seuil by La Martinière
on 12 January 2004. Six months later he was obliged to resign as a result of his interest in this operation. Cherki was replaced by Pascal Flamand (Président-directeur général) and Olivier Cohen (publishing director). The latter created a subsidiary called L'Olivier. Following the purchase by La Martinière, the Volumen distribution company was created. Numerous logistical problems arose, and several editors left the publishing house.
In November 2005, Éditions du Seuil announced the arrival of Laure Adler to oversee its literature detpartment. Olivier took back control of his publishing house L'Olivier. Points, a pocket subsidiary of Seuil, became a publisher in its own right. The house continued its policy of growth, amalgamating the publishers Danger Public and Petit à petit. Significant tension developed and in 2006 the editor Hervé Hamon (who had a loyal record of 20 publications with Seuil in the capacity of an author) left, declaring that the author was no longer at the centre of the operation.
In August 2006, the group announced a new director general, the journalist and writer Denis Jeambar
, who had formerly been deputy director of editing for Point, and president of the L'Express-L'Expansion group, and editing director of L'Express
. Towards the end of 2006, Laure Adler was dismissed.
n°93, October 2004
La Martinière Groupe
La Martinière Groupe is a French publishing house, the third largest after Hachette and Editis. It was formed in 1994. Subsidiaries include France's Éditions du Seuil and the United States' Abrams Books....
. It owes its name to this goal "The seuil (threshold) is the whole excitement of parting and arriving. It is also the brand new threshold that we refashion at the door of the Church to allow entry to many whose foot gropes around it" (letter of father Plaquevent, 28 December 1934).
Description
Éditions du Seuil was the publisher of the Don CamilloDon Camillo
Don Camillo is the main character created by the Italian writer and journalist Giovannino Guareschi , and is based on the historical Roman Catholic priest, WW II partisan and detainee of the concentration camps of Dachau and Mauthausen, Don Camillo Valota . Don Camillo is one of two protagonists,...
series, and of Chairman Mao's Little Red Book. The large sales which these generated have allowed the house to publish more specialized titles, particularly in the social sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
. Éditions du Seuil is widely respected in the publishing world maintaining good relations with its authors. Seuil has published works by Jacques Lacan
Jacques Lacan
Jacques Marie Émile Lacan was a French psychoanalyst and psychiatrist who made prominent contributions to psychoanalysis and philosophy, and has been called "the most controversial psycho-analyst since Freud". Giving yearly seminars in Paris from 1953 to 1981, Lacan influenced France's...
, Roland Barthes
Roland Barthes
Roland Gérard Barthes was a French literary theorist, philosopher, critic, and semiotician. Barthes' ideas explored a diverse range of fields and he influenced the development of schools of theory including structuralism, semiotics, existentialism, social theory, Marxism, anthropology and...
and Philippe Sollers
Philippe Sollers
Philippe Sollers is a French writer and critic. In 1960 he founded the avant garde journal Tel Quel , published by Seuil, which ran until 1982...
(in his first period), and later by Edgar Morin
Edgar Morin
Edgar Morin is a French philosopher and sociologist born Edgar Nahoum in Paris on July 8, 1921. He is of Judeo-Spanish origin. He is known for the transdisciplinarity of his works.- Biography :...
, Maurice Genevoix
Maurice Genevoix
Maurice Genevoix was a French author.Born on 29 November 1890 at Decize, Nièvre as Maurice-Charles-Louis-Genevoix, Genevoix spent his childhood in Châteauneuf-sur-Loire. After attending the local school, he studied at the lycée of Orléans and the Lycée Lakanal...
and Pierre Bourdieu
Pierre Bourdieu
Pierre Bourdieu was a French sociologist, anthropologist, and philosopher.Starting from the role of economic capital for social positioning, Bourdieu pioneered investigative frameworks and terminologies such as cultural, social, and symbolic capital, and the concepts of habitus, field or location,...
. Notably, they published Frantz Fanon
Frantz Fanon
Frantz Fanon was a Martiniquo-Algerian psychiatrist, philosopher, revolutionary and writer whose work is influential in the fields of post-colonial studies, critical theory and Marxism...
's doctoral thesis, Black Skin, White Masks
Black Skin, White Masks
Black Skin, White Masks is a 1952 book written by Frantz Fanon originally published in French as Peau noire, masques blancs.In this study, Fanon uses psychoanalysis and psychoanalytical theory to explain the feelings of dependency and inadequacy that Black people experience in a White world...
, in 1952.
Similarly, Seuil's good relations with book retailers have allowed it to establish significant distribution activity, ensuring the circulation of the works of such publishers as Odile Jacob
Odile Jacob
Odile Jacob is a French publisher who founded Les Éditions Odile Jacob in the middle of the 1980s. She is also a trained scientist, studying the workings of the brain, the mind and thought. She is a member of Le Siècle.-Biography:...
, Éditions de Minuit, José Corti
José Corti
José Corti is a book shop and publishing house located in Paris, France, and was founded in 1925.It is named after its founder, José Corticchiato ; it is one of France's most prestigious and low-profile independent publishing houses...
, and Rivages.
Éditions du Seuil has also performed significant activities in children's literature
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
. The house has promoted and published many great French children's authors; in 2005 Éditions du Seuil was the first to offer to the public animated films included in their albums which were produced by the artists themselves, such as À Quai by Sara
Sara (artist)
Sara is a French artist. She has been living in Paris since 1971. She received the Golden Apple at the 20th Biennial Illustrations Bratislava in 2005.-Artistic style:...
and Promenade d'un distrait, by Béatrice Alemagna.
History
In 1937, Éditions du Seuil was bought by the jewellers Paul Flamand and Jean Bardet. In 1979 these two left the direction to Michel Chodkiewicz.The leadership was subsequently ensured by Claude Cherki from 1989. Cherki was involved in the purchase of Seuil by La Martinière
La Martinière Groupe
La Martinière Groupe is a French publishing house, the third largest after Hachette and Editis. It was formed in 1994. Subsidiaries include France's Éditions du Seuil and the United States' Abrams Books....
on 12 January 2004. Six months later he was obliged to resign as a result of his interest in this operation. Cherki was replaced by Pascal Flamand (Président-directeur général) and Olivier Cohen (publishing director). The latter created a subsidiary called L'Olivier. Following the purchase by La Martinière, the Volumen distribution company was created. Numerous logistical problems arose, and several editors left the publishing house.
In November 2005, Éditions du Seuil announced the arrival of Laure Adler to oversee its literature detpartment. Olivier took back control of his publishing house L'Olivier. Points, a pocket subsidiary of Seuil, became a publisher in its own right. The house continued its policy of growth, amalgamating the publishers Danger Public and Petit à petit. Significant tension developed and in 2006 the editor Hervé Hamon (who had a loyal record of 20 publications with Seuil in the capacity of an author) left, declaring that the author was no longer at the centre of the operation.
In August 2006, the group announced a new director general, the journalist and writer Denis Jeambar
Denis Jeambar
Denis Jeambar is a French journalist.-Biography:Having started his career at Paris-Match in 1970, he joined Le Point in 1972, rising to chief of its political staff in 1981. In 1988 he became editor-in-chief, as well as editor-in-chief of the political and cultural staffs...
, who had formerly been deputy director of editing for Point, and president of the L'Express-L'Expansion group, and editing director of L'Express
L'Express (France)
L'Express is a French weekly news magazine. When founded in 1953 during the First Indochina War, it was modelled on the US magazine TIME.-History:...
. Towards the end of 2006, Laure Adler was dismissed.
Collections
- The "bookstore of the 21st century" collection was created by Maurice Olender in 1989. After having created the "texts of the 20th century" collection of 19 titles at Hachette (publishing)Hachette (publishing)Hachette Livre, , is a French publisher, the flagship imprint of Lagardère Publishing. It was founded in 1826 by Louis Hachette as a bookshop and publishing company. Hachette has its headquarters in the 15th arrondissement of Paris....
in 1985, Olender devised the "bookstore of the 20th century" which subsequently turned into the "21st century". It comprised 143 titles as of 2009. The authors who were first published by Hachette followed Olender to Seuil. The magazine page des libraires presented the collection and its director as follows:
Source
Tant qu'il y aura des tomes, Les dossiers du Canard enchaînéLe Canard enchaîné
Le Canard enchaîné is a satirical newspaper published weekly in France. Founded in 1915, it features investigative journalism and leaks from sources inside the French government, the French political world and the French business world, as well as many jokes and humorous cartoons.-Early...
n°93, October 2004