Après-Midi Recap

Odile Hellier was born in the South of France during World War II and raised in the two different regions of Lorraine, near the German border still haunted by past wars, and Brittany fronting the Atlantic Ocean. After advanced studies in Russian language and literature she taught in high school for two years. She decided to broaden her scope and work in world organizations. During the fall of 1968, Hellier enrolled in a professional school in Paris that trained translators and interpreters in international relations. She worked for ten years as an English- French translator in Washington DC. She returned to France at the end of 1979 and, two years later, in July 1982, she opened the Village Voice Bookshop on Rue Princesse, just off the bustling Boulevard Saint–Germain.

Over the next three decades, the blue-shuttered shop would become one of the most famous English-language bookstores in Paris—a vivacious hub for artists, writers, and a haven for anglophone literary life. After its closing, Odile found herself with hundreds of tapes of various talks given at the bookshop by the greatest artists of their generation. And so, Village Voices: A Memoir of the Village Voice Bookshop, Paris came to be.

I was one of the very lucky people to have attended many of the book readings/signings at The Village Voice, so it was a particular pleasure for me to host Odile and her story. In the audience were several very illustrious authors and poets who had spoken there. The house was packed to the brim, and the audience was attentive and as thrilled to hear all about her journey as I was. She sold all of the books she brought with her, a testament to the welcome reception she received.

Be sure to watch the video of the session by visiting our YouTube channel.

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