Toulouse. The Ever Green Plume de Carrot editor
For 20 years, Frédéric Lisak has been wearing Plume de Carotte, an atypical publishing house ahead of current ecological awareness.
The profession of Green Giant already occupied, that of veterinarian for a while, it is finally towards journalism specialized on the environmental subject that Frédéric Lisak turns before becoming an editor. Joined a nature club from the age of 12, the young person of Limousin-Polish origin is interested in his close environment, formed by the peasant precepts of his grandparents. Then followed a veterinary preparation in Tours then the Veterinary School of Toulouse in 1986 “with the idea of returning to my native Limousin to take care of the cows”. But the desire to transmit is essential: “I then contacted the existing associations and the Milan Presse group which develops nature magazines and children’s destinations. I therefore started writing books and succeeding with Wapiti magazines. , Wakou, Pyrénées Magazine, Toboggan, Toupie, Mikado… and, at the same time, I participate in nature camps, internships, outings, projects. ” That of the magazine “Tournesol” logically takes shape, supported by the association of Gardeners of France and the idea of publishing books germinates. A first opus appears “:” My Pocket Garden which then endorses the project. “That of being a garage editor, made at home, but with a book sold in Botanic garden centers and Nature & Découverte stores. And we sell 4,000 copies in the first year!” Then, three years later, by dint of perseverance and reflection, the second success which confirms the launch of Plume de Carotte, occurs. Bernard Bertrand’s “Forgotten Herbarium” presents “herbarium boards of very banal wild plants, from our region which quite simply tells about all the little know-how, the traditional links with these plants, whether they are food, medicinal , symbolic, toponymic, cultural … and this book is a hit! ” Very quickly, 8,000 copies were sold and today, 20 years later, the figure is 76,000 copies. A colossal success which gave ideas to other editors since the work was copied a lot. Beautiful books in pamphlets intended for children (“La Mer contre -aque!” By Eric Chaumillon, “Investigations at the Museum” by Laurence Talairach …) and other editorial finds, the Toulouse publishing house has weathered the crises and to refine. Until this year its 20 spring with a beautiful reissue of “The Forgotten Herbarium”. Happy birthday Plume de Carotte!