Since 1978, le cherche midi has put together a solid catalogue, established a brand image and bolstered its specialties, which include non-fiction and guidebooks, French and foreign literature, poetry, humour, practical guides and art books.
The whole adventure began in a bookstore in Paris on the Rue du Cherche Midi, from which the publishing house took its name. While it started out very small, it now has a team of 22 staff members and about a dozen collection directors and outside employees.
The publisher enjoys the utmost editorial freedom, with policies that result in the publication of some 140 titles per year, all collections taken together; reasonable selling prices; favourable relationships with all of its authors; and highly effective communications.
The collections are divided into six major fields:
Non-fiction
• The "Documents" collection presents contemporary social issues (including history, economics, current events, health and politics) covering the perspective of both specialists and witnesses to events. • "En Collaboration Avec…" [In Cooperation With...]: selections of texts, poems, and documents relating to significant subjects, in partnership with the French human rights league, the French education league and Amnesty International. • "Ciels du Monde" (The World’s Skies) brings together works on air, space and aviation.
Literature
• "Romans, Récits et Nouvelles" – novels, narratives and short stories. • "Ailleurs" [Elsewhere], a collection dedicated to French literature. • "Lot 49" [Collection 49]: new voices in American literature. • "Néo": from thrillers to science fiction. • "Amor Fati": unusual literary works and philosophical essays. • "Points Fixes" [Reference Points]: literary works par excellence, with narratives, short stories, poems and essays. • "Collection Terra": narratives, novels and documents focused on the realities of rural life. • "Style": an innovative collection that celebrates a wealth of writing styles.
Poetry
• "Espaces" [Spaces]: French language and international poetry in the form of thematic anthologies edited by specialists. • "Poésie 1": devoted to current events related to poetry, this magazine’s four annual issues reveal current trends in French-language poetry from around the world.
Humour
• "Les Pensées" [Thoughts]: Le Cherche Midi’s cult collection, featuring the essence of wit from writers and humorists both past and present. • "Le Sens de l’Humour" [A Sense of Humour]: Modern-day life as seen by contemporary humorists, be they writers, journalists or performers. • "La Bibilothèque du Dessinateur" [The Cartoonist’s Library]: Top cartoonists reveal their vision of the world.
Practical
• "The Guides collection": practical guides on such diverse subjects as leisure activities, culture, health, gastronomy and wine.
Art books
• "Beaux Livres" [Art Books]: all aspects of art, from painting to gastronomy and cinema.
In 2008, the novelties include The Echo Maker of Richard Powers, My Photo Album of Laure Manaudou, or Camarón of Jean-Joseph Julaud.
