Shakespeare and Company is a famous bookshop in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, on Rue de la Bucherie in the 5th arrondissement (just south of the Île de la Cité and Notre-Dame cathedral).
Discover the Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris
France This Way review: the Shakespeare and Company bookshop is one of the most famous, and most quaint, bookshops in Paris and you should visit as you explore the area south of the river: you will find that it is these small but interesting sights that stay in your memories of a trip to Paris as long as your memories of the more famous attractions!
History of Shakespeare and Company bookshop
The Shakespeare and Company shop that we visit today was founded in 1951/1964. The name however has longer origins, and was the name given to a famous Parisian bookshop by an American author called Sylvia Beach who lived in Paris between the two World Wars.
At that time the shop was an important meeting point for the English speaking community in Paris, and attracted many famous authors such as F Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. It was also Sylvia Beach who published the famous Ulysses by James Joyce when others refused to publish it and the book was banned in several other countries.
This shop was closed in 1941, under the period of Nazi occupation of Paris. I was told that this was because Sylvia Beach refused to sell a copy of Finnegan's Wake (also by James Joyce) to a German officer, but I don't know if this is a true story.
The current incarnation of Shakespeare and Co was opened in 1951 by George Whitman, and was given its current name in 1964 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the birth of Shakespeare, and because the new owner had been an enthusiast of the original shop. The shop today is run by the daughter of George Whitman.
Visit Shakespeare and Company
Because of the small spaces inside, the number of visitors allowed in the shop at any one time is restricted so you might need to wait before being allowed in. There is no charge to enter the bookshop.
Inside, most of the shop is a warren of corridors and spaces with books covering every surface, and you certainly feel you are in a bookshop of times gone by. Some areas of the shop are dedicated to "staff selections" of books which might provide inspiration.
If you go up the staircase you can see the reading area upstairs where visitors to the shop can relax. The books in the reading area are not for sale.
Shakespeare and Company has a wide collection of books and they are sold at the prices marked on the books so you don't pay any extra to buy a book here.
When you buy a book here you can have it stamped with an official "Shakespeare and Company" stamp, which is a nice idea by the shop, and popular with customers.
There is a small selection of souvenirs for sale if you can't find a book that you like (or in a language you can understand), although for most people I would think a copy of a Shakespeare play with the official stamp of the shop inside would make for a more imaginative gift or purchase!
Note that although the interior of the bookshop is very cute, you are not allowed to take photos inside - so we can't show you a photo gallery here!
Attractions nearby
You are only a two minute walk from the Ile de la Cité with Notre-Dame cathedral, the most famous cathedral in the world, and Saint-Chapelle, perhaps the most beautiful church in France, among the highlights so you are likely to visit those when you are in this part of Paris!
You can find more travel ideas in the Paris region guide.
To make travel arrangements to visit Shakespeare and Company see HERE
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