The French Booksellers Association lashed out at the renewed e-commerce website Amazon after French Marco Couscas’s novel “French Links”, published exclusively on the website, won the prestigious French “Renaudot” Award, which sets a precedent in the history of French literary awards.
Although Amazon has nothing to do with the nomination or winning of the novel, the Union regarded the selection of a self-publishing and e-published novel as being incompatible with literary norms, especially with 17 printed books competed on the award from various French-speaking countries.
In a message posted on its website, the Union asserted that Amazon poses a threat to publishing houses by seeking to unfairly dislodge competitors, avoid paying taxes in the countries where it operates, and open the way for self-publishing to destroy publishing houses, libraries and distribution agencies.