The Madrigall group formalized, Monday, July 11, the arrival of the ex-patron of Fayard (Hachette) at the head of the publishing house.
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Very exactly ten years after the acquisition of Editions Flammarion by the Madrigall group, the parent company of Gallimard, Folio, Casterman… announced, Monday, July 11, “the appointment of Sophie de Closets as president and the general management of Editions Flammarion “. The Madrigall group press release specifies that “in a context of concentration and upheaval of the publishing market, a new dynamic is essential for Flammarion”.
The arrival of Sophie de Closets, who directed Fayard (subsidiary of Hachette) between 2014 and his resignation on March 24, 2022, is part of the OPA launched by Vivendi, the group of Vincent Bolloré , on Lagardère, which, if the European Commission gives its green light, must authorize a merger between Editis and Hachette, the first two publishers of France. Sophie de Closets “leads organizations and all the editorial developments of Flammarion Editions. It is a chance for the group to rely on the experience, qualities and talent of Sophie,” said Madrigall’s press release.
Hemorrhage at Fayard
The editor, one of the most coveted on the market, has distinguished itself in particular by obtaining the rights of the respective memories of Michelle (Decom, 2018) and Barack Obama (Un Terre Promise, 2020), and by putting Works a critical edition of Mein Kampf, published in 2021, intended to “historicize evil”. Most recently, she made a nice blow with the publication of the Fossoyeurs, by Victor Castanet (400 pages, 22.90 euros), who updated the mistreatment of the elderly in the Ehpad of the Orpea group.
Since his departure from Fayard and her replacement by Isabelle Saporta, a hemorrhage of the authors of the house has occurred as never in the world of publishing. Virginie Grimaldi, Jacques Attali, Victor Castanet, Alain Badiou, Barbara Cassin, Gérard Davet, Fabrice Lhomme (these last two journalists in the world) announced that they did not want to stay. Some have already warned that they were going to follow her. What will clearly make Antoine Gallimard’s game, CEO of Madrigall.
The old owner of Fayard, whose appointment to Flammarion has been the subject of rumors for months, assures for his part: “The confidence of Antoine Gallimard obliges me and I am happy to join a house and a Group that have been carrying the values of freedom, independence, creativity, requirement, essential to our businesses for so long. “It will therefore replace a duo. Patrice Margotin, who was managing director of Flammarion, joined Madrigall as a deputy director for developments. Anna Pavlowitch, the former president, had already left in January with Albin Michel.