Florent Patron is a happy editor. One of his novels – Requiem for a player by Erwan Le Bihan – has just been selected for the French pro bac program. A nice distinction for the publishing house Locus Solus and the author of Breton origin.

Breton writers have long had a national audience. Some have been published for years by big houses: Hervé Jaouen, Hervé Bellec, Colette Vlérick, Marie Sizun, Daniel Cario, Stéphanie Janicot, Nathalie de Broc… and many others.

A favorable ecosystem

In the big publishing houses, Brittany is occupying an increasing place, whether in novels, beautiful books, heritage, history … The region is very promising. All the ingredients are there: the environment, history, myths, significant tourism, many exhibitions, a dense network of media libraries and bookshops …

THE’public institution Books and conferences in Brittany identifies in Finistère in 2021:

• 214 authors,
• 26 literary events,
• 34 publishing houses,
• 44 independent libraries,
• 198 libraries …

Local novels, regional thrillers …

The Bretons are also great readers. If they want to eat local, they are spoiled for choice in a wide variety of genres. The local novels continues to be so popular with the readership. “They take as a frame Brittany, historical facts. Bretons like it, but not only, ”says Florent Patron.

Since the second half of the 1990s, another genre has developed: regional thrillers. Located in Quimper, the editions Palemon and Good deal have made it a real specialty with very prolific authors like Jean Failler, Françoise Le Mer, Bernard Larhant, Stephane Jaffrézic, Serge Le Gall and many others.

Installed in Châteaulin, Locus Solus published, for its part, rather of the authors of black novels (like Erwan Le Bihan, Pascal millet) and “poetic and traveling literature” (Marc Pennec, Claire Fourrier, Bernard Berrou).

Youth and fantasy novel

Two other genres are particularly dynamic at the Breton point: the roman youth and the fancy.

Florent Patron edits Christine Le Dérout and Tristan pichard who have a real talent for involving young audiences in their stories. Locus Solus does not specialize in fantasy: “Other houses are doing it very well and are carving out great success. There is room for everyone and all genres. “

And this breath is not about to fall: Florent Patron has received twice as many manuscripts since the start of the health crisis!

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