Where can I donate my old English books in France?

Reader question: I have shelves full of English-language books at home – they are not worth much but some are quite rare. Who might be interested in them?

If you live near a town, you could start by finding out if there are any charity shops, such as Emmaüs or the Secours Catholique.

Some libraries welcome book donations – it is worth asking them individually as they may have specific needs. You could ask your local schools too.

A number of charities specialise in secondhand books.

Bibliothèques sans Frontières, which sends used books all over the world, organises a national collection once a year in Fnac stores across the country (the next event is in May 2021), where you can drop off all your old books.

Recyclivre is another book charity with collection points throughout France. You can locate the ones closest to you online here.

Another solution is to drop off some of your books in one of those small “reading boxes” dotted in villages and towns around France called boite à lire, similar to the converted red telephone boxes filled with books seen in the UK.

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