{"id":10813,"date":"2022-10-28T08:35:19","date_gmt":"2022-10-28T08:35:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/shakespeare-and-company-bookstore-paris\/"},"modified":"2024-01-18T10:27:07","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T10:27:07","slug":"shakespeare-and-company-bookstore-paris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/en\/shakespeare-and-company-bookstore-paris\/","title":{"rendered":"Shakespeare and Company in Paris"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Head for the heart of the 5th<\/sup> arrondissement! Just a stone’s throw from Notre-Dame-de-Paris, the English-speaking bookshop Shakespeare and Company truly is heaven-on-earth for book lovers… It’s also a great point of interest for visitors curious to discover a different side of Paris!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow the guide!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udca1 The Captain\u2019s tips<\/strong> \ud83d\udca1<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83e\uddd0 Keen to delve into Paris’ rich history?<\/strong> Captain Ulysses suggests checking out this complimentary guided tour of the city<\/a><\/mark>. You decide how much to tip the guide!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udca4 Searching for the perfect stay in Paris?<\/strong> Take a peek at Captain’s picks for the best places to stay: Where to stay in Paris? Tips & Recommendations.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udc76 Planning a family adventure to Paris?<\/strong> Discover all of the Captain\u2019s top tips in the article: Exploring Paris with the Kids: Family-Friendly Activities<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Brief history Shakespeare and Company<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The origins of Shakespeare and Company<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 1919, Sylvia Beach, an American bookseller and publisher, founded the first English-language bookstore, Shakespeare and Company, at 8 rue Dpuytren, in the heart of the 6th<\/sup> arrondissement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two years later, the bookshop moved to 12 rue de l’Od\u00e9on, where it welcomed some of the most emblematic writers of its time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The leading figures of the Lost Generation<\/em> – Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, Francis Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein – regularly visited Sylvia Beach’s bookstore… Ernest Hemingway even mentioned the mythical bookstore in his novel A Moveable Feast<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1922, Sylvia Beach published the first edition of James Joyce’s classic Ulysses<\/em>: a proof of courage and audacity considering the novel was to be banned in England and the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1941, the German occupation forced Shakespeare and Company to close its doors for good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The end of a chapter…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The second bookstore<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 1951, George Whitman, an American bookseller, opened an English-language bookstore at 37 rue de la B\u00fbcherie, in the heart of the 5th<\/sup> arrondissement of Paris, a stone’s throw from the Latin Quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Named Le Mistral,<\/em> this bookstore was located opposite Notre-Dame-de-Paris, at kilometer zero, the point at which all French roads begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sylvia Beach, a devotee of George Whitman’s bookstore, invited the owner to take over the name ‘Shakespeare and Company’… and so he did in 1964, on the occasion of the 400th<\/sup> anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like the members of the Lost Generation in Sylvia Beach’s bookstore, the writers of the Beat Generation – among whom Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso and William S. Burroughs – became regular visitors in George Whitman’s bookshop. Jim Morrison was also known to drop by Shakespeare and Company regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udcda The Tumbleweeds<\/em> \ud83d\udcda<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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George Whitman was a socialist. He wanted to make his bookstore a forum for exchanging views and meeting like-minded individuals, where the door would always be open to authors in need. He therefore invited writers, artists and intellectuals to spend the night on the second floor of the bookstore, surrounded by books. What did he ask in exchange? Simply that they read a book a day, help put the books away for a few hours a day, and write a short one-page autobiography before leaving.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Shakespeare & Co. bookstore today<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In 2001, Sylvia Whitman took over the family bookstore, assisted by her husband David Delannet. George’s daughter continues to perpetuate the spirit of openness and sharing so dear to her father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2003, she created the Festival and Co, a literary festival organized every two years in the small square in front of the bookshop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2011, Sylvia Whitman launched the Paris Literary Prize, a literary competition for international young writers who have not yet been published.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2015, the Shakespeare and Company Caf\u00e9 opened in the building adjacent to the bookstore. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy a delicious moment of relaxation after a shopping session in the bookstore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Visiting Shakepeare and Company<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While Shakespeare and Company truly is heaven on earth for all book lovers, no need to be an avid reader to enjoy a visit in the mythical bookshop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The English-languague bookstore has become quite the cultural Mecca in the French capital. Frequented by Parisians as well as visitors from all over the world, Shakespeare & Co. is a cosmopolitan and lively gathering point. Captain Ulysses can only recommend taking time to explore the shelves covered with books of all kinds, and lounge in one of the store’s many cozy armchairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bookstore also organizes numerous meetings (in English) with emblematic or more confidential authors. Find the program of the next events here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before leaving, Captain Ulysses recommends stopping in the caf\u00e9 next door for a nice cup of coffee!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Access<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Getting to Shakespeare & Co.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Shakespeare and Company bookstore is located at number 37 rue de la B\u00fbcherie in the 5th<\/sup> arrondissement, opposite Notre-Dame and a few steps from Saint-Michel, the Sainte-Chapelle<\/a>, the Conciergerie<\/a> and the March\u00e9 aux fleurs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The nearest metro station is Cit\u00e9, on metro line 4 (if you’re not in great physical shape, take the elevator to get back to the surface!) The RER B and C trains also stop at the Saint-Michel – Notre-Dame station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The city buses 21, 38, 47, 85, 96 as well as the sightseeing bus tours<\/strong><\/a><\/mark> also stop a few steps from the bookstore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opening hours of the bookshop<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The bookstore is open Monday through Saturday from 11:00 am to 7:30 pm, and Sunday from 11:30 am to 7:30 pm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Admission Rates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Access to Shakespeare & Company is free (unlike some other iconic bookstores, such as the Lello Bookstore<\/a> in Porto). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udc49 Skip the lines: book your tickets and tours in advance! <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\ud83d\udc49 Looking for a place to stay in Paris?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n