The Jury for the Livre Inter Prize: Portraits of Readers

In inviting its listeners to apply to be candidates for the «popular» jury of Livre Inter, France Inter offers a considerable number of ordinary readers an occasion to demonstrate their interest in reading. Several thousand letters of application received by the prize organizers in 1991 have been studied. We discover people of all ages, all conditions, eager to explain the place that reading occupies in their life, to affirm their critical competence concerning contemporary literary production, their desire to make this heard as part of a large anonymous voice and fervent about those that reading impassions. Neither passive consumers, nor professionals with expertise, these readers have come to be recognized as important participants in the life of the book, respectful concerning its creation but free in their judgements.
Read