Éditions Gaïa

Éditions Gaïa (also known as Gaïa Éditions) is a French publishing house founded in 1991 in Larbey, in the Landes department, by Susanne Juul, a Danish-born translator, and her husband Bernard Saint-Bonnet, a teacher in Pau. The name Gaïa refers to the ancient Greek word for Earth, reflecting the founders' ambition to explore literatures from all horizons. The first publication appeared in September 1993: La Vierge froide et autres racontars, a collection of humorous short stories by the Danish author Jørn Riel. That book set the tone for what became the house's signature speciality — Nordic literature — and Jørn Riel remained a tutelary figure of the catalogue. Over the following decades Gaïa broadened its scope. From 1996 it began publishing French authors, and it developed a notable speciality in Serbo-Croatian literature, with occasional forays into other literatures, particularly Anglophone writing. In 2001 it launched the Gaïa polars collection with Le Loup dans la bergerie, the first novel in the Varg Veum series by the Norwegian writer Gunnar Staalesen. In 2003 it created the Taille unique collection with Naïf. Super. by Erlend Loe, a line devoted to novels dealing with social issues; that collection ended in 2006. A turning point came in 2005, when a crisis affecting its distributor led Gaïa to partner with Actes Sud, gaining access to Actes Sud's diffusion and distribution network. Actes Sud took a 73% stake in the company, making Gaïa a subsidiary within the Actes Sud group. The house's identity has also been expressed through distinctive design choices: until July 2009 its general-literature titles were printed on pink paper, and from August 2009 they switched to a more ecological cream-coloured paper. Since January 2009 the head office has been located in Montfort-en-Chalosse, in the Landes. The logo evolved too, from an early image of the Earth above an open book to, since 2009, a popular-art rouelle. Today Éditions Gaïa publishes a catalogue of Nordic and international fiction, crime novels and literary translations, and appears as a collection within the Actes Sud publishing group. Its authors include Leif Davidsen, Kjell Eriksson, Knut Hamsun, Jānis Joņevs, Daniel Katz, Erlend Loe, Katarina Mazetti, Vilhelm Moberg, Jo Nesbø, Morten Harry Olsen, Jørn Riel, Gunnar Staalesen, Irina Teodorescu and Herbjørg Wassmo. Its collections include general literature and Gaïa polars, and its series include La Saga des émigrants, Les aventures tumultueuses d'un Suédois en Inde, Melchior l'Apothicaire and Les Racontars arctiques.

Gaïa Éditions was founded in 1991 in Larbey, in the Landes department of France, by Susanne Juul, a translator of Danish origin, and her husband Bernard Saint-Bonnet, a teacher based in Pau. The name of the house, Gaïa, means Earth in ancient Greek, and the founders' stated ambition was to explore literatures from every horizon. The first title appeared in September 1993: La Vierge froide et autres racontars, a collection of humorous short stories by the Danish writer Jørn Riel. This debut oriented the catalogue towards Nordic literature, which became the house's speciality, with Jørn Riel as a tutelary figure. From 1996 the publisher also began issuing French authors. It developed a further speciality in Serbo-Croatian literature and made occasional incursions into other literatures, notably Anglophone writing. In 2001 Gaïa launched its crime-fiction line, Gaïa polars, with Le Loup dans la bergerie, the first novel in the Varg Veum series by the Norwegian author Gunnar Staalesen. In 2003 it created the Taille unique collection with Naïf. Super. by the Norwegian writer Erlend Loe; intended for novels dealing with social issues, the collection ran until 2006. In 2005, following a crisis affecting its distributor, Gaïa Éditions entered into partnership with Actes Sud, gaining access to Actes Sud's diffusion and distribution circuit. Actes Sud took a 73% stake in the capital of Gaïa, making it a subsidiary of the group. The house's visual identity also evolved: until July 2009 all its general-literature titles were printed on pink paper, after which, from August 2009, they were printed on cream-coloured, more ecological paper. Since January 2009 the company's registered office has been located in Montfort-en-Chalosse, in the Landes. Its first logo depicted the Earth above an open book; since 2009 the logo has been a popular-art rouelle. Today Gaïa Éditions operates as a collection within the Actes Sud publishing group, continuing to publish Nordic and international fiction, crime novels and translations. Its catalogue includes authors such as Leif Davidsen, Kjell Eriksson, Knut Hamsun, Jānis Joņevs, Daniel Katz, Erlend Loe, Katarina Mazetti, Vilhelm Moberg, Jo Nesbø, Morten Harry Olsen, Jørn Riel, Gunnar Staalesen, Irina Teodorescu and Herbjørg Wassmo. Its collections comprise general literature and Gaïa polars, and its series include La Saga des émigrants, Les aventures tumultueuses d'un Suédois en Inde, Melchior l'Apothicaire and Les Racontars arctiques.

• 2009

  Head office moves to Montfort-en-Chalosse in January; paper switches from pink to cream in August; new rouelle logo.

• 2006

  The Taille unique collection comes to an end.

• 2005

  Partnership with Actes Sud after a distributor crisis; Actes Sud takes 73% of the capital.

• 2003

  Launch of the Taille unique collection with Naïf. Super. by Erlend Loe.

• 2001

  Launch of the Gaïa polars collection with Le Loup dans la bergerie by Gunnar Staalesen.

• 1996

  The house begins publishing French authors.

• 1993

  First publication in September: La Vierge froide et autres racontars by Jørn Riel.

• 1991

  Gaïa Éditions founded in Larbey, Landes, by Susanne Juul and Bernard Saint-Bonnet.

Independent literary publisher specialising in Nordic literature and crime fiction, integrated into the Actes Sud group.

• La Vierge froide et autres racontars

• Gaïa polars collection

• Taille unique collection

• Varg Veum series

1. 1Gaïa | Collections | Éditions Actes Sudactes-sud.fr
2. 2Gaïa Éditions — Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org
3. 3Éditions Gaïa — Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Des histoires vraies | Œuvres | Éditions Actes Sudactes-sud.fr