Anne-Alice, Nohô Host in Paris: From the Bookstore to Playwriting, when Anything Is Possible

Some life paths aren’t planned, yet they end up feeling like they were always meant to be. Anne-Alice’s began in a small neighborhood bookstore. A few years later, she was hosting much of the French literary world in her home. Bookseller, literary agent, organizer of literary events, publisher, and for the past seven years playwright. She’s seen books and plays come to life from every angle. In Paris, she’s offering two workshops on Nohô to give participants a behind-the-scenes look at the book world or teach them how to write a play.

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Anne-Alice, and I have a background in literature. I started out as a bookseller, then became the director of a literary fair in the 2000s. That’s where I discovered so many writers. This journey wasn’t planned at all—it just happened.

Over the years, I hosted some of the publishing world’s finest at my home during conferences and readings: publicists, officials from the National Book Center. It was very impressive at first. Without even trying, I became a sort of Madame de Staël of the 2000s.

Thanks to this network, I went on to become a publisher and ran a short story collection department at Gallimard. Then life took me down a different path: I decided to write plays, and that’s what I do today.

How did you develop this passion for writing and literature?

Through reading. I read so much that I trained to become a bookseller so I could sell the books I loved. I cut my teeth at a small neighborhood bookstore, and that’s where it all started.

One day, I asked a writer to come give a short talk at the bookstore, and things just snowballed from there. It’s an unusual path: no one can predict that they’ll end up meeting all the French writers right in their own neighborhood.

What’s the biggest obstacle for people who dream of writing, and how do you help them take the plunge?

Over the years, I’ve gained experience. Today, I receive manuscripts from young writers, mostly as a favor to friends. I ask them for ten pages, and thanks to my habit of reading and editing, I quickly spot the weak points: grammar, pacing. A good idea is great, but putting it into writing isn’t that simple. There are pitfalls, and I guide the authors to avoid them.

Four years ago, I discovered a young author, Léo, who is so talented that I’m guiding him step by step toward publication. I’m doing this on a volunteer basis, and I’ll help him until he gets published. He writes remarkable short stories and works in film.

QWhat are you offering on Nohô, and who is your event aimed at?

I have two posts.

The first one tells the story of my life. You can be a neighborhood bookseller one day, and two years later bring together the entire spectrum of French literature. The message is that anything is possible. You learn as you go, by experiencing things you hadn’t planned for, and sometimes you discover you’re up to the task without even realizing it. I also share some amusing anecdotes: some authors who are very famous today were barely twenty at the time, like Florian Zeller, with whom I’m still in touch. You have to know how to seize opportunities and spot them as they come up in life.

The second one is much more technical. No matter your age, when you want to write, there are steps to follow. For example, I lead writing workshops for children ages 7 to 11. We start with a brainstorming session to find a theme and identify keywords: what do we really want to write about? Then we identify the message, which should be able to be summarized in a single sentence.

Next comes the technique of theater, which is my specialty. I can read manuscripts of all kinds, but when it comes to technique, it’s all about theater: the structure in acts, the scenes within each act, the rhythm, and that pivotal moment that will change the characters’ lives. I also explain how French theater works, distinguishing between private and public theaters. When I started out, I knew nothing about any of this and made a lot of mistakes. The idea is that the person who comes to see me will get there faster than I did, thanks to my experience. And if a play is to be staged, I now have the network to support it though that’s just one option.

What are your major projects for the coming months?

People call me “the woman with a thousand ideas” or “the fairy” I have two nicknames. I have three plays in the works, including one for Avignon 2027.

This one is in the hands of a director and an actor. It’s a socially conscious play about the founder of Social Security, with a message: let’s remember why we have a Vitale card and how it all came to be.

The second is called Jarvis. It’s in the reading stage, with four characters and a puppet. The third is called Jim and tells the story of rocker Jim Morrison, three days after his death. It’s a somewhat dreamlike play.

When an Unexpected Journey Becomes an Invitation

On Nohô, certain encounters inspire you to take the plunge. Anne-Alice’s is one of them. Whether you’re an avid reader, an aspiring author, or simply curious about what goes on behind the scenes in the book world, an hour with her in Paris shows that you can end up where you never imagined, as long as you seize the opportunities. And perhaps you’ll leave with the desire to write your first scene.