From publisher to bookshop: collections at the Ombres Blanches bookshop in Toulouse

The Ombres Blanches bookshop in Toulouse, founded in 1975, has always prided itself on developing its stock thanks to its in-depth knowledge of publishers’ lists. It has developed its stock – first in literature and the humanities, and more recently in the full range of subjects – by drawing on the notion of publishers’ series as loci defining the publisher’s policy and aesthetic vision. However, such series are often not given time to develop in a publishing industry increasingly characterised by just-in-time management, speed, and a lack of clear vision. The Ombres Blanches stock, constantly renewed, draws on the tradition and culture of the publisher’s back-list.
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