Gallimard on Gallimard

For those of you who read French, the blog at the Nouvel Observateur has a really cool piece about the history of Gallimard that was written by Antoine Gallimard—the grandson of the founder of Gallimard, Gaston Gallimard, and the company’s current Président et Directeur Général [CEO]:

Un jour, Daniel Pennac a été approché par une maison concurrente. Et l‘éditeur en question lui dit: «Pourquoi restez-vous chez Gallimard? Tout le monde s’en va: Bianciotti, Queffélec» Pennac répond: «Quoi? Tout le monde s’en va? J’aurais donc Gallimard pour moi tout seul? Et vous voudriez que je parte?»

[My bad translation: One day, Daniel Pennac was approached by another publisher. The editor in question said to him: “Why are you staying at Gallimard? Everyone leaves there: Biancotti, Queffélec…” Pennac responded: “What? Everyone leaves Gallimard? So I’ll have them all to myself? And you want me to leave?”]