Shakespeare and Company, Paris

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Today I would like to introduce you to my favourite bookshop in the world: “Shakespeare and Company” in Paris. Situated a mere stone's throw away from Notre Dame at 37 rue de la Bûcherie, in the 5^th arrondisement, the shop was first opened in 1951 by George Whitman who originally named it “Le Mistral” but later changed the name to “Shakespeare and Company”. For decades it has served as a regular bookshop and library for readers and (quite famous) writers, but also as a place to crash for travelling bibliophiles. It is claimed that over 40,000 people have actually stayed at the shop over the years. 

Sadly, George died almost a year ago in December of 2011 at the age of 98. His lovely daughter Sylvia Beach Whitman had already taken over the shop by then and is now running it according to her father’s philosophy, but still implementing a few necessary changes, such as building a new staircase to the upper level (the old one sure was a neck-breaker), etc.  She also started the shop’s own literary festival a few years ago.

So this is my literature-related travel advice for today! Don’t miss out on this gem of a shop! Trust me, you will feel like you’ve died and gone straight to book heaven. And yes, chances are high that you may even meet one or the other author.

If you would like to check out their webpage, you can find it here: Shakespeare and Company