Bookshops in France were shuttered a month ago as the country withdrew into its second nationwide coronavirus lockdown. Deemed non-essential then – to the dismay of many – bookshops and other small stores have now reopened for business. Desperate for a boost after a trying month and a difficult year, French booksellers are raising their iron curtains at just the right time, with the Christmas shopping season afoot and the Prix Goncourt awarded on Monday. France's most prestigious literary prize is a surefire boon for sales.

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