Wikipedia

Carnets Nord

Carnets Nord was a French independent publishing house founded in 2007 as a subsidiary of Éditions Montparnasse, a video and DVD publisher. Based in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, the company published approximately twelve new titles per year, focusing on two editorial lines: French and foreign literature and topical essays and non-fiction works.[1] The company was placed into compulsory liquidation in October 2019.[2]

Carnets Nord
Parent companyÉditions Montparnasse (2007–2017)
StatusDefunct
Founded2007 (2007)
FounderRenaud Delourme
Benoît Chantre
Defunct2019 (2019)
Country of originFrance
Headquarters location14th arrondissement, Paris
Official websitewww.carnetsnord.fr

History

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Foundation and early years

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Carnets Nord was created in 2007 by Renaud Delourme, co-founder and director of Éditions Montparnasse, and Benoît Chantre, a philosopher, editor and essayist known for his work on mimetic theory.[3][4] Chantre served as editorial director.[5]

The publisher's first titles, released in late 2007, included two notable works: Achever Clausewitz, a book of conversations between René Girard and Benoît Chantre on the thought of Carl von Clausewitz, and Mille et un bonheurs, a collection of meditations by Sister Emmanuelle.[6][7] Achever Clausewitz was widely discussed in academic and intellectual circles and was later translated into English as Battling to the End.[8]

The catalogue was distributed by the CDE (Centre de distribution de l'édition), a subsidiary of Éditions Gallimard.[9] Over the years, Carnets Nord published essays, literary fiction, crime fiction and non-fiction, including works by authors such as the Colombian novelist Tomás González, the Austrian writer Heinrich Steinfest, and the French novelist Richard Morgiève.[3][10]

Separation from Éditions Montparnasse

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Éditions Montparnasse had been experiencing financial difficulties since 2015, partly due to video piracy and the underperformance of its video on demand platform. In 2017, the company's shareholding was restructured: producer Dominique Vignet and his company Ciné-mag Bodard acquired a 67% stake in Éditions Montparnasse, while Renaud Delourme retained 33% and took full control of Carnets Nord, which became a separate entity.[3]

Tout le bleu du ciel and closure

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In February 2019, Carnets Nord published Tout le bleu du ciel, the debut novel by Mélissa Da Costa. The book, which tells the story of a young man diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease who embarks on a road trip with a stranger, became a major commercial success.[11] Da Costa had initially self-published the manuscript on the platform monbestseller.com before being discovered and signed by Carnets Nord.[12] The novel received the Prix du jeune romancier at the Salon du Touquet-Paris-Plage and later the Prix Alain-Fournier in 2020.[12]

Despite this late success, the publishing house was placed into compulsory liquidation by the Commercial Court of Paris on 2 October 2019, with a cessation of payments dated 18 September 2019.[2][13] The procedure was closed for insufficient assets on 18 February 2021.[13] Mélissa Da Costa went on to publish her subsequent novels with Albin Michel, becoming one of France's best-selling authors.[12]

Notable publications

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  • René Girard (with Benoît Chantre), Achever Clausewitz (2007)
  • Sister Emmanuelle (with Sofia Stril-Rever), Mille et un bonheurs (2007)
  • Jean-Michel Oughourlian, Genèse du désir (2007)
  • Tomás González, Au commencement était la mer (2010)
  • Gaël Giraud and Cécile Renouard, Le Facteur 12 (2017)
  • Mélissa Da Costa, Tout le bleu du ciel (2019)

References

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  1. ↑ "Carnets Nord - Les Editions". La Cause Littéraire. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Liquidation judiciaire des éditions Carnets Nord" (PDF). SGDL. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Hugueny, Hervé (7 April 2017). "Carnets nord se sépare de Montparnasse". Livres Hebdo. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  4. ↑ "René Girard : Achever Clausewitz". Les Podcasts de l'Institut de France. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  5. ↑ "Benoît Chantre". Librairie Eyrolles. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  6. ↑ Rognon, Frédéric (2008). "René Girard, Achever Clausewitz. Entretiens avec Benoît Chantre, Paris, Carnets Nord, 2007". Revue d'histoire et de philosophie religieuses. 88 (2): 207–208.
  7. ↑ "Mille et un bonheurs - Sofia Stril-Rever". Babelio. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  8. ↑ Merrill, Trevor (Fall 2007). "On War: Apocalypse and Conversion". Lingua Romana. 6 (1).
  9. ↑ "Carnets Nord". EDIT-IT. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  10. ↑ Delourme, Renaud (28 August 2012). "Rentrée littéraire chez Carnets Nord/Montparnasse, un joli cru !". Le blog des Éditions Montparnasse. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  11. ↑ "Tout le bleu du ciel par Mélissa Da Costa chez Carnets Nord". France Net Infos. 11 May 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 "Mélissa Da Costa". Babelio. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
  13. 1 2 "Société Carnets Nord (499459113)". Societe.com. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
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