Olivier Nora launches his publishing house, set to debut in October 2026

Olivier Nora, recently ousted from Grasset, announced on Monday that he would launch his own publishing house, which will begin its publications in October 2026. This announcement comes four months after his dismissal by Vincent Bolloré, owner of the Hachette group, which had sparked a strong reaction from numerous authors.

The new house, named Olivier Nora Éditions, will have minority support from the Editis group, considered the second-largest player in the publishing sector in France. Nora specified that his publishing house would be independent and aims to publish between thirty and fifty titles per year.

Among the first announced works are "Mémoires provisoires" by Bernard-Henri Lévy and "Sermons sous les décombres" by Delphine Horvilleur. These titles are scheduled to be released in October 2026, marking the start of the new publishing house's activities.

Nora, 66, was dismissed from his position at Grasset in April 2026, shortly after the arrival of writer Boualem Sansal at Hachette. This departure had caused shockwaves in the literary community, prompting many authors to express their dissatisfaction with Bolloré's leadership.

The reactions following his ousting were numerous, with some critics highlighting the growing influence of Vincent Bolloré in the publishing field. Nora has since been able to capitalize on this situation by launching his own project, underscoring his desire for independence in a highly competitive editorial context.

The development of his publishing house could also be a response to the evolution of the literary landscape and the challenges faced by other publishing houses in the current environment dominated by conglomerates.