2023-11-02 12:41:00
At only 18 years old, the information and communication student at ULiège has had an Instagram account (Le Coin Livresque) followed by more than 7,000 people for almost three years. “I share my book reviews, author interviews and I give reading advice.”
“A book changed my life”
For him, it all started during Covid. “I was bored so I opened a book to pass the time. I didn’t know that this book would completely change my life,” he continues. The book that made this click for him? The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker, which received the Grand Prix du roman from the Académie française in 2012. “I devoured it and wanted to read others.”
Until then, Antoine was not really into reading. “When I was little, I liked reading. My grandmother read me stories and we had good times together, but in secondary school my passion died out. I didn’t like being forced to read certain books and being locked into a certain style. I think we should instead allow students to choose from a defined list so that they can choose the work that inspires them the most.”
“Young people still read”
So much so that at 16, Antoine was part of the jury for the Filigranes Prize and created his literary blog “Le Coin Livresque”. “I have always loved interacting with others. For me, reading is not an individual activity. It’s true that we read alone, but we are no longer alone when we immerse ourselves in the author’s world and escape from our daily lives. Literature transmits messages, and I love discussing a novel with other readers who don’t always have the same opinion as me. I was a little hesitant to start because I didn’t know if I might write relevant literary criticism, but I started and it worked.”
In two years, Antoine’s community has grown significantly and today reaches more than 7,000 subscribers. Among them, many young people. If the reading skills of young Belgians are often considered catastrophic, Antoine believes that it is wrong to say that young people no longer read! “We sometimes hear that young people have lost the taste for reading, but I absolutely want to break this stereotype. There are a lot of young people who follow me. I also think that my age is an asset.”
According to an IPSOS survey conducted in 2022 among 1,500 young French people aged 7 to 25, more and more young people are reading. 83% of respondents read as part of their leisure time, and 81% for personal taste.
”Among my subscribers, there are also adults, some of whom have not opened a book for years. Some of them ask me for advice privately to help them reconnect with literature. When they send me a message to thank me for finding them a book that they devoured, I feel very proud.”
Around forty books per year
It must be said that Antoine knows his stuff well. He has read around 200 books, of all genres. “I like to vary, moving from one genre to another according to my desires. There, with university, it’s more complicated to find time, but I read on average 35, 40 books per year. It’s simple, I always have two things with me: my wallet and a book. When I’m not talking with my friends between classes, I take the opportunity to open my book.”
Inspired by the authors he receives as part of his blog – including Joël Dicker who gave him a taste for reading – Antoine decided to embark on the great adventure of writing. “I am writing my own novel. I discuss rape and emotional dependence. These are subjects that touch me. I want to write regarding social issues and convey messages in my novels. I am also considering tackling harassment in a future book. I have a lot to say.”
=> From mid-November, Antoine’s favorites can be found every month on our Instagram account “La Libre Etudiant”
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