Paris, France – Alice Kneusé will officially take over as the new General Delegate of the Paris Librairies association on February 11th, 2026. She steps into the role previously held by Elsa Pierrot, who has served the Parisian association for about a decade on a part-time basis and is now transitioning to a career in teaching. A handover period between the two professionals is currently underway throughout January.
A Wealth of Experience in Publishing and Cultural Events
Alice Kneusé is a well-known figure within the publishing industry and cultural event management, bringing extensive experience to her new position at Paris Librairies. Between 2017 and 2023, she worked for the Madrigall group, where she organized various book fairs alongside Béatrice Lacoste, head of fairs. This initial role expanded to include responsibilities for managing relationships with bookstores and festivals for authors in the ‘Du monde entier’ foreign literature collection.
Concurrently, Kneusé joined the team of the Les Carrières Saint Roch music festival in Luzarches (Val-d’Oise) as a communication and production manager, a role she will continue to hold alongside her new responsibilities at Paris Librairies.
AK Production and Collaboration with Gallimard
In 2024, Alice Kneusé established her own company, AK Production, specializing in the production and support of cultural and artistic projects across publishing, music, and live performance. Through AK Production, Gallimard entrusted her in 2025 with a mission to accompany three debut novelists-Paul Gasnier, Lucie-Anne Belgy, and Mathieu Tulissi Gabard-during the September literary season, as well as Jenny Erpenbeck, an author published in the ‘Du monde entier’ collection, in their bookstore and festival appearances.
“Following this collaboration, Philippe Touron, director of Gallimard bookstores and a member of the Paris Librairies board, with whom I had previously worked on several occasions, offered me the position of General Delegate of the association, succeeding Elsa Pierrot,” explained Alice Kneusé. She added, “Taking on this role at this point in my career holds particular significance: it is a continuation of my experience and knowledge of the publishing and bookstore world, while also echoing my commitment to the associative sector, nurtured by the organization of the festival.”
Key Initiatives and Future Plans
At the helm of Paris Librairies, Alice Kneusé will oversee several ongoing projects. She will notably collaborate with Mathilde Marchand on a study concerning Île-de-France bookstores. Supported by the Drac Île-de-France, this study aims to assess the distribution of bookstores within the region. The new General Delegate will also coordinate, with François Xavier-Robert, the podcast ‘L’Écho des libraires,’ recently launched by the association.
Beyond the central mission of Paris Librairies – to promote independent bookstores, particularly those in the Île-de-France region, to institutions and the general public – Kneusé will be responsible for developing collective projects with member booksellers. These initiatives include the “Jeunes en librairie en Île-de-France” program, which provides high school students with the opportunity to discover independent bookstores.
In the longer term, Alice Kneusé also intends to strengthen partnerships with certain museums, focusing on highlighting exhibitions and catalogs, and to promote the diversity of professions within the publishing industry, with the possibility of integrating them into ‘L’Écho des libraires’ podcast.
The Importance of Independent Bookstores
The appointment of Alice Kneusé comes at a crucial time for independent bookstores, which play a vital role in cultural dissemination and local community engagement. Paris Librairies, under her leadership, is expected to continue its efforts to support and enhance the visibility of these essential cultural spaces.
This transition marks a new chapter for Paris Librairies, with a focus on consolidating existing projects and exploring new avenues for collaboration and promotion, further cementing the significance of independent bookstores in the vibrant cultural landscape of Paris and its surrounding region.
