What instagrammable trip to Paris would be complete without a visit to Shakespeare and Company? I joke, of course, though instagram has made the bookstore famous world-wide.
Shakespeare and Company is an English-language bookshop in the heart of Paris, on the banks of the Seine, opposite Notre-Dame. Since opening in 1951, it’s been a meeting place for anglophone writers and readers, becoming a Left Bank literary institution.
The bookshop was founded by American George Whitman at 37 rue de la Bûcherie, Kilometer Zero, the point at which all French roads begin. Constructed in the early 17th century, the building was originally a monastery, La Maison du Mustier. George liked to pretend he was the sole surviving monk, saying, “In the Middle Ages, each monastery had a frère lampier, a monk whose duty was to light the lamps at nightfall. I’m the frère lampier here now. It’s the modest role I play.”
It quickly became a center for expat literary life in Paris. Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, Anaïs Nin, Richard Wright, William Styron, Julio Cortázar, Henry Miller, William Saroyan, Lawrence Durrell, James Jones, and James Baldwin were among early visitors to the shop.
It really is a fantasy bookshop. It’s magical. As a bookworm I was in heaven and I just wanted to tuck myself up into one of their nooks and read for days. I left after having bought more books than I needed and one of their iconic book totes.
It now gets very busy and you will have to queue to get in. However, most people take a quick look around and some photos so if you get their early, you might get to beat the crowds.
Shakespeare and Company is located at 37 Rue de la Bûcherie, 75005 Paris, France. Their hours are 10am-8pm Monday – Saturday and 12pm-7pm on Sundays.
Have you ever visited Shakespeare & Co?
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