A qualified geographer, with a doctorate in environmental and renewable energy geography, and an independent publisher, Sophie, co-founder with Frédéric Bresc of Éditions Scudéry, has established her publishing house in the heart of the Marais district. Trained in graphic arts at the Gobelins school, a former history and geography teacher (12 years in the French national education system), and author of Hatier textbooks (Classiques et Cie École), she left teaching to create this demanding publishing house: children's picture books, poetry, and illustrated adaptations of classic works, all printed in France.
• Can you give us a portrait of who you are as a person and the professional environment in which you work?
I'm a publisher, and I work with bookstores, publishers, and other publishers. I consider myself an entrepreneur: I created my publishing house after leaving the French national education system eight years ago, when my children were very young. They are now 18 and 16. Today, women can take risks; it's no longer reserved for men. We women can innovate, and I experience this every day. It's extremely rewarding to take risks with what you offer.
• Have you ever felt confined to a "woman's" role? How do you react to or circumvent this?
Thank you for this question, which made me reflect on something I wasn't fully aware of. When you publish a book, you're promoting a catalog, and in bookstores, the goal is often to discourage you because there are so many books on the market. People think it's even easier to discourage you because you're a woman… I've developed more perseverance. Some booksellers have told me I'm tenacious "for a woman." This tenacity is a quality that has allowed me to circumvent the roles that people try to confine women to.
• What gesture, piece of advice, or phrase from another woman still supports you today in difficult times?
I think first of Madeleine de Scudéry because my publishing house bears the name of this French woman of letters renowned for her successful novels and erudite conversations.
Then she refused marriage – unimaginable for her time. She authored an incredible number of works at a time when such work was the sole domain of men. Finally, this writer of the Grand Siècle, a true icon of free women, held literary salons in the Marais district, where my publishing house is located. Le MaraisThis is the district of audacious women.
I also like to remember this quote from Marguerite Yourcenar: "Whatever happens, I learn and I win every time."
That's my motto, it guides me every day, it allows me to be tenacious. Creating a business means overcoming many obstacles, I've gotten back up often, because it's not always easy.
• In your field, what are the invisible barriers you still encounter as a woman?
In the publishing world, the norm is a famous author and a famous editor. We need to move beyond that: society needs to envision a female author and her editor. Sabine Wespieser has paved the way by building a remarkable catalogue featuring many equally remarkable female authors.
• How do you reconcile your personal life with your professional or creative ambitions?
I manage them very well because I work from home with my husband, the co-founder of the publishing house – which is simpler. In our family, we all share a passion for books, so it all flows quite smoothly. My children, who are 18 and 16, understand the challenges facing our publishing house and what we're developing. The only problem: there are only 24 hours in a day! (laughs)
• What would you like us to stop asking women… and finally ask men instead?
I think fathers need to read more stories to their children because by leaving bedtime reading to women alone, they perpetuate a stereotype: reading is feminine and sports are masculine. Reading isn't just for women. This stereotype is repeated; in fact, in the publishing industry, they say that readers are women. Publishers and authors know that women read more novels than men—who tend to lose interest in reading around adolescence.
• If you could change just one concrete and immediate thing to improve the lives of women in your neighborhood and city, what would it be?
Le MaraisIt's a safe place, a haven for women and minorities. People come here because they can drink, eat, and dress however they want. It's a space of tolerance and freedom. It would be wonderful to extend this spirit to all the neighborhoods of Paris. We need large, inclusive, and cultural festivals throughout the city to give everyone the opportunity to be who they want to be. It's no coincidence that people from all over the world come here.
• Which young woman or girl in your circle gives you hope for the future, and why?
My daughter and her friends: I see that her entire generation defies the criticisms leveled at Gen Z. For me, this generation is creative and resilient. Among the 25-30 year olds I meet in bookstores, I see women fighting against precariousness, inventing, and sharing their passions. It's not easy. I see many of these profiles in associations, volunteering and bringing forward ideas.
Text: Katia Barillot
08.03.26
