This was one of the thunderclaps of the great oral by Delphine Ernotte, the president of France Télévisions, Wednesday July 6, during the presentation of the back-to-school schedules at the Grande Halle de La Villette, north-east of Paris, on which hovered over the abolition of the television license fee – without the word having been uttered once.

After a few more or less expected announcements – from Michel Drucker’s appearance on France 3 on Sunday to the solo return of Léa Salamé for France 2’s Saturday evening talk show (after the departure of his ex-accomplice Laurent Ruquier), in a program renamed “We can no longer say anything” which earned him some mockery on social networks – we learned that François Busnel would be replaced, from September 7, by Augustin Trapenard at the presentation of the “Grande Librairie”.

About twenty guests

Created in 2008, the only program in the world devoted to books and programmed in prime time was preparing to celebrate its 500th edition live that very evening. François Busnel – who will remain co-producer of the show – had brought for the occasion some of the authors who mattered most to him. About twenty guests in three trays, all came to present, at the request of their host, the book that had made them become what they are, with the aim of constituting an ideal library of twenty books for the holidays.

Yann Queffélec, familiar with the place, Dany Laferrière, Cécile Coulon, Marie-Hélène Lafon, who came with eleven of her students, Philippe Besson, Jacques Weber, Philippe Claudel, Leïla Slimani, Mohamed Mbougar Sarr – le Goncourt 2021 , who chose… Moby Dick, by Herman Melville –, Salman Rushdie, J. M. G. Le Clézio, Edgar Morin, Elisabeth Badinter… And of course Amélie Nothomb, the godmother of the show, who appeared amazed at the departure of “[ his] godson”.

But the surprise guest was called Augustin Trapenard. The host, who recently announced that he was stopping “Boomerang”, on France Inter, was already there as the new master of the place. After a hug, a standing ovation and a few gifts, “it’s no longer you, François, who chooses when the show is over,” he told his predecessor, before announcing Vincent Delerme and Jeanne Cherhal to perform at the piano We will meet again one day or another, very beautiful and very sad melody written by Charles Aznavour for Thierry Le Luron.

See you on Wednesday September 7, with Augustin Trapenard in front of the camera, and François Busnel in management.