Paris' Astier-Pécher Literary & Film Agency Expands to Asia

Jérôme Bouchaud

France’s Astier-Pécher Literary & Film Agency is expanding to Asia, working with Jérôme Bouchaud who is based in Malaysia.

By Olivia Snaije

The Paris-based Astier-Pécher Literary & Film Agency has decided to expand to Southeast Asia.

“I’ve been wanting to establish an office there for a long time,” said founder and manager Pierre Astier. He found the ideal solution in Jérôme Bouchaud, a French translator and writer who has lived in Asia for over 15 years.

They met when Bouchaud, who is based in Malaysia where he runs a literary magazine called Jentayu, worked with Astier on two collections of short stories from Malaysia and Singapore for a volume of world literature that Astier edits.

“Bouchaud speaks Mandarin, Malay, Indonesian, Thai and, of course, English. He’s that rare gem. When we worked together, I realized he was very informed, he was quick, and a big reader.”

Bouchaud runs the office from Malaysia and offers writers from the Astier-Pécher catalogue to publishers in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand. At the same time he will bring writers from these new markets to the agency.

About the Author

Olivia Snaije

Olivia Snaije is a journalist and editor based in Paris who writes about translation, literature, graphic novels, the Middle East, and multiculturalism. She is the author of three books and has contributed to newspapers and magazines including The Guardian, The Global Post, and The New York Times.