The only bookstore on Croatian islands is located in Korčula.
Although many Croats have migrated to other European Union countries and beyond, there are foreigners who have decided to move to Croatia. One of them is Joseph le Corre from France, who lives in Korčula and manages the only bookstore located on a Croatian island. His colleague there is Dora Mikelić, reports Večernji List on August 9, 2018.
For four years Joseph has been enjoying life in the beautiful Korčula, in which he fell in love 30 years ago and has regularly visited it since. When opening the bookstore Kutak Knjiga, Joseph thought it did not make sense to be open for just a few summer months and therefore Dora, a graduated journalist, joined his business.
Dora says that a Frenchman and a Croat can make for a great team. They occasionally quarrel, especially in the summer when they might seem like an old married couple, but they solve all the disagreements on the spot.
Local people love to come to the bookstore and ask Joseph, whom they call Josip, which team did he support at the recent World Cup. Dora adds that she would like to be able to discuss football with him and comment on Mbappe or Griezmann, but he simply has no idea who plays for France or Croatia. “Fortunately, I do not know anything about football so I did not have to choose. I supported Europe and in that way, I was a sure winner,” says Joseph.
“What distinguishes Joseph from other employers in Korčula is the fact that he insists on and strictly respects workers’ rights. In addition, he is allergic to people working without being registered as such. Do you need any more evidence that he is French, and not Croat?” asks Dora.
On the other hand, Joseph does not think there is a major difference between Croats and French. He says that bigger differences exist between islands and the mainland. “People from the south are more relaxed. On the Mediterranean, people talk more and work less. Such is the local culture.” He sees major differences between France and Croatia in history since France has the same borders since the 16th century, which is not the case with Croatia. Moreover, he believes that in France much more respect is given to human rights and diversity.
“During the recent World Cup, all the bars in Korčula were full. I watched some of the matches at home and I did not even have to turn on the TV because the outside noise was enough to know whether we scored a goal. People love football both in France and in Croatia equally,” Joseph says.
Translated from Večernji List (reported by Dario Markas).
