Being big fans of French fiction, it’s clear why many of the LoveReading team adore diving into novels published by Gallic Books. Founded in 2007 to publish the very best of French in English, this brilliant, bijou publisher has a knack for gifting English-speaking readers glorious Gallic fiction. 

For example, to savour a satisfying taste of French fiction, try Antoine Laurain’s Vintage 1954 — we described it as “a fabulously full-bodied-book with crisply sweet undertones, driven by droll humour and romance.”

Since their founding, though, Gallic Books has expanded their scope to also publish English-language writing from around the globe, while remaining devoted to championing books that explore diverse experiences and perspectives.

One such book is the sensational She’s a Killer, a recently-published LoveReading Star Book that had our expert reviewer raving about it: “a fiercely dark read, full of spiky, gleefully provocative attitude, I loved it!”. We also loved Sofie Laguna’s The Choke, Fiona Kidman’s This Mortal Boy, and Little by Edward Carey.

Suffice to say, we’re hugely excited about what Gallic Books are publishing in 2024. So, read on to find out about exactly that, along with insights into their fascinating backstory.

Describe Gallic Books in three words

French, innovative, unpretentious

What sparked the founding of Gallic Press? What’s your editorial ethos? 

From the beginning, our ethos has been to publish French-language books that are being read and loved by the everyday people across the channel, not necessarily the books that everyone feels like they “should” read – genuinely enjoyable, immersive fiction. At the time, there weren’t many publishers actively translating books from French. And now we publish books from elsewhere - mainly Australia, New Zealand and the UK - and we look for great stories, well told. 

While you’ve expanded beyond publishing works translated from French, I’d love to know what your all-time favourite French novels are…

That’s a hard question, because I was brought up in a French-speaking country, so I’ve read a lot of French books, including kids’ books. I loved Le Petit Nicolas when I was growing up – a series of books about the misadventures of a schoolboy and his classmates. (It’s also a great one to read for learners of French, because it’s enjoyable for adults and uses easier grammar than most French literature!)

Among those which spring to mind as an adult are Now Let’s Dance by Karine Lambert, translated by Anthea Bell, and Piglettes by Clémentine Beauvais. We’ve also got a book coming out next year, Clara Reads Proust by Stéphane Carlier, translated by Polly Mackintosh, that would definitely make my top 10!

Which Gallic Books’ successes are you most proud of?

One of our earliest and most notable successes was The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery, translated by Alison Anderson. It has sold 400,000 copies in the UK and 10 million copies around the world. It was a great example of our mission – to bring the books that French people are actually reading to an English-speaking public. We’re actually celebrating its fifteenth anniversary this year and hoping to bring it to a new generation of readers!

More recently, we published Little by Edward Carey, which was a Times and Sunday Times Book of the Year in 2018. They said: “Told with extraordinary panache, and illustrated by Edward Carey, this tale of the founder of Madame Tussauds is a macabre joy.”

Which books from the Gallic Books backlist should everyone read?

It’s probably no surprise that we recommend The Elegance of the Hedgehog given how many people around the world have read and loved it. But another one of our big successes is The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain, along with The President’s Hat, by the same author (both translated by Jane Aitken and Emily Boyce). They’re whimsical, fun, romantic books, and great for Francophiles.

Give us an elevator pitch for some of your upcoming books.

All The Way to Summer by Fiona Kidman is a collection of short stories about love and longing from a feminist icon, New Zealand’s answer to Alice Munro.

Clara Reads Proust by Stéphane Carlier (transl. Polly Mackintosh) is an enchanting tale of Girl Meets Book – perfect for fans of Amélie and books about the power of reading.

Muriel Barbery and Antoine Laurain both have new books coming out this year, too – One Hour of Fervour is a companion piece to Barbery’s 2021 novel A Single Rose and is a love letter to Japan. French Windows is full of Laurain’s trademark charm and whimsy but with an added dose of suspense and intrigue  – Rear Window with a Parisian heart.

Who would you invite to your dream literary party?

We recently had three of our authors over for an event, Muriel Barbery, Antoine Laurain, and Jean-Baptiste Andrea, and really enjoyed hanging out with them beforehand. At the event itself, they had lots of interesting things to say about books and how they approach the writing life. So, I think a whole evening with them and some good food and wine would be really fun.

Tell us a secret about books…

The best books out there aren’t always the big buzzy ones everyone’s heard of. If you want to find some true gems, it’s worth browsing through the catalogues of indie publishers – and we think Gallic Books is a great place to start!

Stay up to date with Gallic Books:

Website : belgraviabooks.com/pb/

X: @GallicBooks

Facebook: Gallic Books

Instagram:Gallic Books

And, to discover more from the people who bring you all those books you love, read the rest of our Industry Insights series.