Shakespeare and Company

37 Rue de la Bûcherie, 75005

Paris, France

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​By Asha R., 8th Grade

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This summer my mom, my dida (grandma) and I went on a trip to Paris. It was a fabulous trip with amazing food and great places to visit. One of the highlights for me that would totally get me going back was this tiny cluttered English bookstore called “Shakespeare and Company." Usually, when I go into a bookstore and I prepare to judge it, I compare it to my favorite bookstore, Community Bookstore, which is in Park Slope. To be completely honest, most of them aren’t as good as Community Bookstore (in my opinion) and I end up fighting my mom when she tries to drag me back. However, Shakespeare and Company was like a dream for readers. 

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​​​​​​​​​Located at 37 Rue de la Bûcherie in Paris on the banks of the Seine, Shakespeare and Co is right by Notre-Dame Cathedral and Sainte-Chapelle. If anybody goes to Paris, I would tell them to go and see Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle and then go check out Shakespeare and Company. Though to be completely honest, I could spend my entire day in that bookstore. When you step inside you are met with a maze of bookshelves, vintage chairs, typewriters, and the cozy smell of old books. Cats wander around the cluttered books, adding to the charm. Avid readers sit on the many soft chairs, lost in a book sitting on their laps. 

 

Constructed in the early 17th century, the building was originally a monastery which gives old but comfortable vibes. It became a bookstore in 1951, founded by George Whitman who said on the first day that artists, writers, and intellectuals could come and sleep in the bookstore among the stories. Since that invitation, 74 years have passed and more than 30,000 people have stayed in the bookshop. James Baldwin, William Burroughs, Anaïs Nin, Allen Ginsberg, Richard Wright, Julio Cortázar, and Henry Miller were some of the first visitors that came to the bookstore. Currently, George Whitman's daughter, Sylvia Whitman, now runs the bookshop with David Delannet, her partner.

 

Obviously, Paris is a little far but if you can get there, try to find some time to visit this charming bookstore.