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Shakespeare and Company Bookstore in Paris

History

The original Shakespeare and Company Bookstore was opened in 1919 by Sylvia Beach and served as a gathering place for many of the most famous writers of the Lost Generation. However, Beach closed the store during the Vichy France epoch of WWII, and was never able to open it again.

The modern-day Shakespeare and Company is located on the left bank of Paris in the Latin Quarter and just steps from ile-de-la-Cite. It was opened by bohemian and idealistic world traveler George Whitman in 1951 under the name “Le Mistral” and renamed Shakespeare and Company after the death of Sylvia Beach in 1964. Whitman’s bookstore served as a haven for young writers and travelers and was a refuge for beatniks like Allen Ginsberg and Gregory S. Burroughs.

Atmosphere

Shakespeare and Company has been attracting travelers for decades with its friendly and communal atmosphere. The top floor serves as a library and is filled with floor to ceiling bookcases, benches with pillows that invite visitors to pick up a book and stay for a while, and writing desks for young, wandering writers. There’s even a hostel area attached to the shop, with sleeping room for 13 guests. The place oozes youth and creativity, and tourists are drawn in not only for the books, but for the social and laidback environment.

A quote by William Shakespeare graces the entrance and serves as the motto for Shakespeare and Company: “Be not inhospitable to strangers lest they be angels in disguise.”

Buying and Selling Books

Shakespeare and Company specializes in English language paperbacks of literature, history, philosophy, poetry, and art. If you’re interested in selling a book, they buy books every week from Tuesday to Friday. The shop is famous among book lovers and Francophiles, and has been featured in the famous Woody Allen film, Midnight in Paris. Books from Shakespeare and Company make great Paris souvenirs and gifts from the City of Light.

Workshops and Events

For George Whitman, Shakespeare and Company wasn’t merely a bookshop, but an idealistic literary utopia where people could gather to appreciate literature and cultivate good writing. That attitude is still in practice more than 50 years later, and visitors will have plenty of opportunities to get involved. Events at Shakespeare and Company take place every couple of days and include book signings, readings, open mic nights, and panel discussions. Film screenings and theatrical performances also grace the bookshop from time to time.

Space for literary workshops or writing classes is offered free of charge. Expats gather weekly for philosophical reading groups and book clubs, and reading circles for children are also on offer. This free and open exchange of knowledge and literature is what Shakespeare and Company was founded on and what keeps generations of book lovers and tourists coming back.

Neighborhood

Shakespeare and Company is located in the Latin Quarter on the left bank of the River Seine. The energy of the bookstore blends right in to the Latin Quarter’s student atmosphere, fed by the nearby Sorbonne. Located just opposite Notre Dame and steps from ile-de-la-Cite, a trip to the bookstore will fit perfectly in to a day of sightseeing in Central Paris.

Walk across the River Seine to ile-de-la-Cite to visit Notre Dame and La Chapelle. Continue to the right back to visit Les Halles or the Jardin des Tuileries. If you prefer to stay on the left bank, the Jardin du Luxembourg is just a few blocks south. And if you’re tired of sightseeing, take a stroll up the Seine and find a bench where you can enjoy your new books from Shakespeare and Company.

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Shakespeare and Company Bookstore in Paris