Robert Gray: 'If Reading Was an Olympic Sport, You'd All Medal'

Pop quiz: Who won the Olympic gold medal for Mixed Literature at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris? 

Give up? Well, Géo-Charles (France) took gold for Jeux Olympiques, while the silver medal was shared between Margaret Stuart (Great Britain) for Sword Songs and Charles Gonnet (France) for Vers le Dieu d'Olympie. Bronze medals went to Josef Petersen (Denmark) for Euryale and Oliver St. John Gogarty (Ireland) for Ode pour les Jeux de Tailteann. Belated congratulations to the medalists.

From 1912 to 1948, Olympic medals were awarded for artistic creations inspired by sport. Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics, had envisioned the games as a celebration of both physical and intellectual pursuits. Beginning with the Stockholm, Sweden games in 1912, medals were awarded in five categories: architecture, literature, music, painting and sculpture. Later the categories were expanded to be more specific, as in mixed literature, as well as dramatic, lyric & speculative, and epic works.

In 1949 the International Olympic Committee decided that since almost all contestants in the art competitions were professionals, this didn't reflect the amateur status of the Olympics (at the time, though as we know times have changed). The IOC attempted to revive art competitions at Helsinki, Finland in 1952, but the idea was rejected by the hosts. 

Before the 2024 Olympic Games, booksellers turned out to be the surprising early upset winners when Les Bouquiniustes won the first competition of the games after French President Emmanuel Macron intervened in a controversial battle to remove the legendary Parisian booksellers from the banks of the river Seine due to security reasons involving the opening ceremonies. A new ruling finally allowed hundreds of Bouquinistes, who operate from dark green boxes by the river, to stay at their historic locations. Could the original decision to remove them have been an overreaction?

In anticipation of the craziness in the host city during the games, legendary Paris bookseller Shakespeare & Co. issued this cautionary note to customers due to its location near the center of the action: "Planning on visiting us between 27 July and 11 August? While we expect to be open as usual during this period, the Olympic Games may have an impact on the access to our shop and our hours. To be sure you come when we're open, keep checking this post or our website for updates. We'll post all information here as soon as we have it. Thanks for your understanding."

On this side of the pond, booksellers have been engaging in their own Olympic moments of glory. 

The Poisoned Pen Bookstore, Scottsdale, Ariz., shared a special photo on Facebook: "From April of 2022 and a visit to the site to be developed for the 2024 Olympics surfing in Tahiti. It was a fair drive from Papeete with little info structure yet available. The bridge sports the Olympic rings promising amazing things to come."

Last week Harvard Book Store, Cambridge, Mass., featured a dramatic video preview: "Coming this summer.... Let the games begin! Celebrate Paris 2024 with your favorite landmark indie as the booksellers compete to see who's the best of the best..... And for our first event: the Receipt Paper Toss! Standing by the register and aiming for the trash can behind Info, how many baskets can you make in 60 seconds?"

At Athena Books

"We've got Olympic fever, do you??" asked Athena Books, Old Greenwich, Conn., which shared a photo of the shop's sidewalk chalkboard promoting in-store "Reading Olympics" events like the couch slouch, the high shelf reach, competitive stacking, one-sitting finish, and spring for the last page. 

Brick & Mortar Books, Redmond, Wash., offered coverage of the Bookseller Olympics, including the always exciting window washing event, while Chapter One Bookstore & More, Mendham, N.J., has been "hosting the BOOK OLYMPICS! Vote on our story for which books you want to advance to the next round! Whichever book takes home the gold will be 15% off for a week!" Here are the finalists.

Love's Sweet Arrow, Tinley Park, Ill., posted: "As a former competitive gymnast, today is so exciting and rewarding to see. Not just for the US women's gymnastics, but for all of the gymnasts. There was so much artistry, strength, and talent on display and so much overcoming adversity and perseverance!"

Old Town Books, Alexandria, Va., offered a list of "bookish things that aren't in the Olympics but should be," including listening to an audiobook at 1.5x speed, having a TBR with 10-plus books, reading multiple books at a time, finishing a long book just before book club, and supporting your local indie bookstore."

At Books on the Square

Book displays have been a popular, and logical, option. "Do you have a future Olympian in your household?" asked Books on the Square, Providence, R.I.. "Our booksellers are so excited for the Olympics and we have a great selection of books for you to enjoy!"

In videos, Curious Iguana, Frederick, Md., highlighted "books to read if you love watching the Olympics" and Third Place Books, with three stores in the Seattle, Wash., area, suggested "what to read after watching the Olympics."

Other bookshops promoting Olympic-themed titles online include 2 Dandelions Bookshop, Brighton, Mich.; Skylark Books, Columbia, Md. ("Apparently there are some sporty-type things going on somewhere."); and Poppy Books & Gifts, Spanish Fork, Utah. ("Who else is as hyped about the Olympics as we are?? Here's a book recommendation based on your favorite sport.").

Capturing the true bookish Olympic spirit, the Book & Cover, Chattanooga, Tenn., posted: "If reading was an Olympic sport, you'd all medal. Read books. Think athlete."

--Robert Gray, contributing editor
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