Foire aux Livres SOS Amitié Besançon

The SOS Amitié Book Fair, read to enable listening

Every spring, SOS Amitié Besançon Franche-Comté transforms the Fontaine-Écu gymnasium into a vast second-hand bookstore open to all. For three days, the association's volunteers set up thousands of carefully sorted and categorized books, offered at very affordable prices to allow as many people as possible to leave with armfuls of reading material.

The initiative is inherently supportive: the proceeds from the book fair directly fund the budget of SOS Amitié Besançon, an association that provides a 24/7 volunteer listening service. These funds finance the initial and ongoing training of volunteer listeners, the acquisition and maintenance of telephone and IT equipment, as well as the association's rental costs. Buying a book therefore enables a volunteer to better support people in distress or loneliness.

A selection of books for all tastes

The fair offers a remarkably wide selection, covering all literary genres and fields of knowledge. You can find French and foreign general literature, biographies and memoirs, crime novels and thrillers, science fiction and fantasy, science and medicine books, nature and animal books, humor books, comic strips and albums, practical books, political science and economics books, language learning methods, psychology, philosophy, cooking and diet books, education and training books, history, religion and spirituality books, art and cinema books, art books, classics and poetry, sports, games and adventure books, geography and tourism books, and of course regional books on Franche-Comté and the Doubs.

Alongside books, the fair also offers CDs, DVDs, and vinyl records, always at modest prices.

A place for life and sharing

Beyond selling books, the SOS Amitié Book Fair is a moment of conviviality where bibliophiles, avid readers, and the simply curious gather. The association's volunteers are on hand to help visitors find what they are looking for or discover new treasures. The event takes place at the Fontaine-Écu gymnasium, 28 rue Fontaine-Écu in Besançon, accessible by bus (line 9, Fontaine-Écu stop or line 7, Churchill stop).

In 2026, the Book Fair will be held from Friday, March 27 to Sunday, March 29.