Éditions du Sonneur

Les Éditions du Sonneur is an independent French literary publishing house founded in 2005 in Paris by Valérie Millet. The name 'Sonneur' evokes the bell-ringer, a fitting metaphor for a publisher that seeks to sound the alarm on overlooked literary treasures. The house publishes French and foreign literary texts, including forgotten, little-known, out-of-print, or previously untranslated classics, alongside contemporary authors. It releases approximately 10 to 12 titles per year. The founder, Valérie Millet, comes from a publishing family that created Éditions du Pacifique, a house specializing in works on Asia, Oceania, and overseas territories. After traveling extensively in her childhood, she returned to France and worked for Gallimard and Flammarion before becoming a freelance editor of fine books. In 2003, a friend gave her a manuscript, prompting her to build a long-term editorial project. The structure was created in 2005 and was temporarily hosted in the bookstore-gallery of Éditions du Pacifique. Éditions du Sonneur's catalogue is characterized by a dual focus: contemporary works with a strong attention to language, and older works discovered in flea markets or through comparative study of foreign authors' original-language and French publications. The house has published authors such as Karel Čapek, Frank Norris, Edith Wharton, Pierre Loti, and Jack London. Its books have received numerous awards, including the Prix Goncourt de la Nouvelle in 2014 for Nicolas Cavaillès's 'Vie de monsieur Leguat', the Prix Orange du Livre in 2022 for Laurine Roux's 'L'autre moitié du monde', and the Prix des Libraires in 2026 for Laurine Roux's 'Trois fois la colère'. The publishing house remains independent and is based in Paris. It maintains an active events calendar with author appearances at bookstores and festivals across France. Its website features new releases, forthcoming titles, and news of its authors' public engagements.

Les Éditions du Sonneur was founded in 2005 in Paris by Valérie Millet. Millet came from a publishing family that had created Éditions du Pacifique, a house known for books on Asia, Oceania, and overseas territories. After a childhood spent traveling, she returned to France and worked for the major publishers Gallimard and Flammarion, then continued as a freelance editor of fine books. In 2003, a friend entrusted her with a manuscript, which led her to conceive a long-term editorial project. The publishing structure was formally created in 2005 and was initially housed in the bookstore-gallery of Éditions du Pacifique. The house publishes about 10 to 12 titles per year. Its editorial line combines contemporary works—often with a strong focus on language—and older texts that are forgotten, little-known, out of print, or unpublished in French. These are discovered through various means, such as flea markets or by comparing foreign authors' original-language publications with their French translations. Among the authors it has published are the Czechoslovak writer Karel Čapek, the American novelist Frank Norris, the American essayist Edith Wharton, an unpublished account by French writer Pierre Loti that appeared in Le Figaro in 1883, and a short autobiography by Jack London. The house has earned critical recognition through several awards. In 2005 it published Le Requiem de Terezin by Joseph Bor, translated by Zdenka and Raymond Datheil, which won a readers' prize in 2008. In 2014, Vie de monsieur Leguat by Nicolas Cavaillès received the Prix Goncourt de la Nouvelle. In 2015, Pourquoi le saut des baleines, also by Cavaillès, won the Prix Gens de Mer 2014 at the Étonnants Voyageurs festival in 2015. In 2017, Des carpes et des muets by Édith Masson won the Prix Erckmann-Chatrian. In 2022, L'autre moitié du monde by Laurine Roux won the Prix Orange du Livre. In 2026, Trois fois la colère, also by Laurine Roux, won the Prix des Libraires. The publisher remains independent and is based in Paris. It maintains an active schedule of author events at bookstores and festivals across France, as reflected on its website.

• 2026

  Trois fois la colère by Laurine Roux wins the Prix des Libraires.

• 2022

  L'autre moitié du monde by Laurine Roux wins the Prix Orange du Livre.

• 2017

  Des carpes et des muets by Édith Masson wins the Prix Erckmann-Chatrian.

• 2015

  Pourquoi le saut des baleines by Nicolas Cavaillès wins the Prix Gens de Mer 2014 at the Étonnants Voyageurs festival.

• 2014

  Vie de monsieur Leguat by Nicolas Cavaillès wins the Prix Goncourt de la Nouvelle.

• 2008

  Le Requiem de Terezin wins a readers' prize.

• 2005

  Éditions du Sonneur is founded in Paris by Valérie Millet.

• 2005

  Publication of Le Requiem de Terezin by Joseph Bor, translated by Zdenka and Raymond Datheil.

Independent literary publisher specializing in rediscovered classics and contemporary world literature, with a strong emphasis on language and translation.

• 2005

  Le Requiem de Terezin

• Vie de monsieur Leguat

• Pourquoi le saut des baleines

• Des carpes et des muets

• L'autre moitié du monde

• Trois fois la colère

1. 1Les Éditions du Sonneur – Maison d'édition depuis 2005editionsdusonneur.com
2. 2Les Éditions du Sonneur – Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org
3. 3Éditions du Sonneur – Wikidatawikidata.org