What Paris hides in a small bookstore

The charm of Paris does not only come from the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum or the streets filled with light, but also radiates from the small and beautiful gems hidden in the heart of the city. Shakespeare and Company Bookstore is one of them. Located modestly on the banks of the Seine River with a view towards Notre Dame Cathedral, Shakespeare and Company is where people come to immerse themselves in books and feel the historical story of a place that has a lot of meaning for lovers of literature and art.

The Rebirth of a Legendary Bookstore

The journey of Shakespeare and Company began in 1919, after the end of World War I, Sylvia Beach - an American woman opened a small bookstore located at 12 Rue de l'Odéon in Paris. This was not only a place to sell books but also an open library, and a familiar destination for famous authors such as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, TS Eliot, Gertrude Stein and many freelance artists in the city of light at that time. Here, they discussed literature, searched for and shared creative inspiration to create immortal works.

It was also considered a refuge for the “lost generation” – young people emerging from the devastating war and yearning to find a path for the future. In the middle of the splendid city, Shakespeare and Company gave them what they needed: a cozy and comfortable atmosphere, a creative and open community and an inspiring environment. Just like that, it didn’t take long for the bookstore to assert its position as a hidden gem for artists amidst the glittering and dreamy lights of the capital Paris.

In 1941, when the Nazis invaded the city, Shakespeare and Company was forced to close. The disappearance of the bookstore left a huge void for the artists at that time. However, the story of this special bookstore does not end there.

In 1951, George Whitman, a friend of Sylvia Beach, opened a bookstore called Le Mistral. He soon renamed it Shakespeare and Company, both to mark the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth and to honor Sylvia’s past contributions. This marked the revival of a legendary name.

Continuing the spirit of the old bookstore, this place has once again become a gathering place for literary lovers, amateur writers just starting their careers and famous authors. The names that often visit here include Richard Wright, Anais Nin, Allen Ginsberg, Henry Miller, James Jones…

Today, the bookstore is managed by Sylvia Whitman - daughter of George Whitman. Still preserving and preserving the original character of Shakespeare and Company, Sylvia also strives to expand the bookstore's activities by organizing festivals, literary competitions for unpublished freelance authors and free literary events every week for book lovers...

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A symbol of the capital Paris

Located in the heart of Paris, right on the banks of the Seine and just a few steps from Notre Dame Cathedral, Shakespeare and Company is loved not only by locals but also by tourists interested in culture and art. The bookstore sells mainly English books, including both newly printed books of high quality and old books with the scent of ancient paper.

The experience of entering Shakespeare & Company is unlike any other bookstore. The distinctive blue door opens into a small kingdom of wall-to-wall bookshelves under warm yellow lights. On some of the empty walls are quotes from famous books, rounding out the experience of visitors, enveloping them in the world of literature, of words, sentences, and stories of the past.

The small space, confined within two floors, seems to have nothing much but books, but it hides impressive little corners, with interesting details such as an antique typewriter, a piano, a rattan chair or a lazy cat lying on a carpet... If you have the opportunity to visit the second floor of the bookstore, perhaps you should try looking through the light-filled window to see a peaceful Paris, with the gentle Seine River and the ancient Notre Dame Cathedral.

"I built this bookstore the way one writes a novel, with each chapter as a room. I want people to open the door here as if they were opening a book, and enter the magical world of imagination" - George Whitman once said.

Because the name Shakespeare and Company is associated with the famous generation of writers in the 1900s, the best-selling books here are familiar names such as The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ulysses - James Joyce, or works by Ernest Hemingway... Each book when paid for is stamped with the Shakespeare and Company's signature seal as a souvenir.

The image of Shakespeare and Company also appeared in classic romantic films of the era such as Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris or Richard Linklater's Before Sunset, as a romantic symbol of the city of Paris.

Home of dreamy souls

Back in the 1930s, in the midst of the Great Depression, young American George Whitman, then in his early 20s, embarked on an adventurous trip across the United States, through Mexico and stopping in Central America.

With only $40 in his pocket, George traveled the roads and did all kinds of jobs to continue his journey of discovery. Once, he fell seriously ill in a remote area of Yucatan, unable to seek help himself. Fortunately, a tribe of Mayans found him and cared for him until he recovered. This kindness and generosity, along with countless experiences encountered during the trip, left a deep impact on George and formed in him a philosophy: “Be not inhospitable to strangers lest they be angels in disguise.” This is also the philosophy of Shakespeare and Company, “as a reward for the hospitality I have received.”

With that in mind, from the very beginning, the bookstore became a home for wandering artists. They were invited to stay overnight on small beds placed between the bookshelves. These guests were called Tumbleweeds - meaning "tumbleweeds" that do not take root in the ground but drift with the wind.

Each person who stays here has a story, a purpose. Whether they are looking for a place to rest in the hustle and bustle of the city, trying to find creative inspiration, or simply needing a new experience, they will probably find some satisfaction in the warm, friendly, and communal atmosphere at Shakespeare and Company. During its 70 years of operation, the bookstore has become a temporary shelter for more than 30,000 writers and artists from all over the world.

Here, the Tumbleweeds were required to read a book a day, help out in the shop, and return a one-page autobiography to the bookstore. Each generation left behind its own little story, creating thousands of chapters in the giant, unique “novel” that Shakespeare and Company possesses.