When previously we wrote about the events at Charlie Hebdo, we expressed our amazement about how quickly the first issue following the attacks on their offices was printed, and how rapidly we were able to get a copy. This confirmed views expressed in a previous post as to the speed with which we try to purchase books relating to newsworthy events (in that case, the kidnapping and subsequent assassination of monks at Tibhirine).

Now, approximately six months after the shootings at the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris, it is worth giving a brief update on the state of publishing about the events, and the additional books that we’ve acquired since the attacks from the sizeable number printed. These include:

Avant, pendant, après le 11 janvier : pour une nouvelle écriture collective de notre roman national / Edgar Morin, Patrick Singaïny (C204.d.594), which is aptly placed in a series entitled L’urgence de comprendre. 

In addition, there were a number of collective responses, such as Nous sommes Charlie : 60 écrivains unis pour la liberté d’expression (C204.d.529) which were issued shortly after the attacks. We’ve since purchased a number of other recent publications, using lists such as this one  in order to inform our choices. Most of these are still in the process of being delivered to the Library, but should arrive shortly.

We have also tried to improve our holdings about a number of the journalists killed on 7 January, 2015. A selection of works recently acquired includes:

• Dessinateurs de presse : entretiens avec Cabu, Charb, Kroll, Luz, Pétillon, Siné, Willem et Wolinski / Numa Sadoul ; photos prises par Numa Sadoul durant les

  

  entretiens. c.7919

• Lettre aux escrocs de l’islamophobie qui font le jeu des racistes / Charb. 8.3586
• Wolinski, 50 ans de dessins / sous la direction de Martine Mauvieux ; textes de Martine Mauviaux, Élisabeth Roudinesco, Cavanna, Massin, Franz-Olivier Giesbert, Maryse Wolinski. 12.166
  (The catalogue of an exhibition held at the BNF in 2012)

Of course, this intense rate of publication will inevitably diminish. The focus is likely to shift to a contextualisation of the attacks, as philosophers, contemporary historians, sociologists and others start to analyse what has happened. It is certain that the events at Charlie Hebdo and their aftermath will remain an important focus of publication (and consequently of our collection development policy) for years to come.

Josh Hutchinson