Amazon has withdrawn from the Paris book festival after a boycott by France’s booksellers’ association prompted a row over the company’s sponsorship of the event.

The festival, due to take place from 17 to 19 April, will now go ahead without the backing of the US retail company, after a mutual decision by organisers and Amazon to end their partnership.

The dispute started after the French booksellers’ association Syndicat de la Librairie Française (SLF) announced it would boycott the festival in protest at Amazon’s involvement.

The SLF has been sharply critical of Amazon, arguing that it destabilises the book trade. In a statement reported by the Bookseller, it accused the company of seeking “to flood the market with fake AI-generated books, [which are] promoted by fake reviews, written by fake readers [and rise] to the top of fake rankings”. It also criticised the publishers’ association and the festival organisers for what it described as an “irresponsible” decision to collaborate with Amazon, taken in the name of short-term financial interests.

“We are deeply disappointed by this partisan manoeuvre by the SLF,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement. “Building on ungrounded and misleading claims, [it] hijacks the event for its own benefit and diverts it from its legitimate ambition – namely the celebration of reading, readers and authors.” Amazon said it had decided to withdraw in order to “avoid contributing to this absurd controversy”.

The organisers of the event, Paris Livres Événements, a subsidiary of France’s publishers’ association, said the collaboration had been brought to an end due to “hostility to Amazon’s presence as a sponsor”. They explained that the move was designed to avert “serious disruption” and safeguard the interests of the 450 exhibitors and estimated 120,000 visitors.

They added that their aim was to “ease tensions” and allow the festival to be held in a “peaceful atmosphere”. “No one would benefit from jeopardising it,” the organisers said.

The festival is expected to proceed as planned in April without the retailer’s presence.