Shakespeare and Company is arguably the most famous independent bookstore in the world but is much more than that. As we discussed in the last post, it was the site of the meetings of great artistic minds in Paris since the 1920s and was a second home to the likes of Hemingway, an office and publisher for Joyce and a safe haven for banned books. It has featured in endless city guides, novels, television shows and movies and is an important tourist attraction in Paris that garners thousands and thousands of visitors each year. If you are a literature fan or are merely an English-speaking tourist looking to pick up a good book once you have found a vacation rental in Paris and are spending time in the city, it is a must-see destination.
The store has passed through several hands over the years, moved around and survived WWII. It is currently located on a prime piece of real estate facing the Seine in Paris, not far from the Latin Quarter, Place Saint-Michel, and Boulevard Saint-Germain, at 37 rue de la Bûcherie and is run by Sylvia Whitman, daughter of the last owner and named after the founder, Sylvia Beach. Whitman has continued the traditions of the store and it remains an important literary hub. There are regular events held on site, such as the Sunday Tea Party, writers' workshops, and talks, readings and signings by the likes on Dave Eggers, A. M. Homes, Jonathan Safran Foer, and Naomi Klein.
Since 2003, Sylvia Whitman has run FestivalandCo, a literary festival that was held biennially in Square René-Viviani, the park next door, and has guests like Paul Auster, Siri Hustvedt, Jeanette Winterson, Jung Chang, and Marjane Satrapi.
In 2015, the store partnered with Bob’s Bake Shop, to open a café in 2015, which is located next door in a previously abandoned garage, something George Whitman had been trying to do since 1969. The café serves primarily vegetarian food, with vegan and gluten-free options and is the perfect place to round off a trip to this cultural must-see in France!
Since 2003, Sylvia Whitman has run FestivalandCo, a literary festival that was held biennially in Square René-Viviani, the park next door, and has guests like Paul Auster, Siri Hustvedt, Jeanette Winterson, Jung Chang, and Marjane Satrapi.
In 2015, the store partnered with Bob’s Bake Shop, to open a café in 2015, which is located next door in a previously abandoned garage, something George Whitman had been trying to do since 1969. The café serves primarily vegetarian food, with vegan and gluten-free options and is the perfect place to round off a trip to this cultural must-see in France!
Photo credit: Christine Zenino / CC BY 2.0
