The Paris Traveler

Shakespeare & Company

by Lynn on May 8th, 2007

I remember the first time I popped into this bookstore back in 1971. George Whitman seemed ageless even back then. He greeted me warmly and started chatting about books. I can no longer remember exactly what the conversation was, but I do remember that before long there was a group of us strangers talking like a bunch of old friends over a cup of tea.

George is the owner of this famous haven for writers, poets, wanderlusts travelers, and any book lover who happens to come through his door. George himself has become somewhat of an institution, just like his shop.

He was born in Boston and went to Paris in ‘46 after the war. In 1951 he not only opened his bookstore, more importantly he opened his home and his heart to thousands of people. If you couldn’t afford a hotel, George would put you up and feed you in exchange for working in his shop. His one request - that you read a book a day. He was not only feeding your body, he was feeding your mind. Throughout the years, this policy hasn’t changed. I read recently that over 50,000 people received his warm hospitality and stayed in what he calls his “Tumbleweed Hotel”.

Shakespeare & Company needless to say is not like your average bookstore. Throughout the years, run-ins with authorities for engaging in “an illegal business” (selling his books) wouldn’t stop George. He would convert his shop into a lending library, a poetry reading place, or for seminars until things cooled and he could go back to his business of selling books.

The history of this bookstore is rich and many famous writers have stopped in to say hello. TV shows, films, and books have all featured Shakespeare & Company in their works. A documentary titled, Portrait of a Bookstore as an Old Man, was made in 2005. The same year, a book by Jeremy Mercer, Time Was Soft There: A Paris Sojourn at Shakespeare & Co. tells of his time there.

For me over the years, it’s been the place to go when I want a good English novel to enjoy. My last visit was just a month ago and each time it’s like stepping back into the past. Not much has changed on the inside; books are still in every nook and cranny. The faces aren’t the same, but the people working in the shop are still young, and there’s always someone who aspire to one day become a famous writer.

George is 93 years-old and has retired now. His daughter, Sylvia Beach Whitman, named after his good friend Sylvia Beach, (who had the first Shakespeare and Company), took over the reins for her father a few years back. Last year George received from the French Minister of Culture the “Officier des Arts et Lettres” medal. He was awarded this honor for his contributions to the arts for over fifty years.

Stop in, I’m sure you’ll spend hours there and who knows, you may end up chatting with George himself.  The store is almost directly across from Notre-Dame Cathedral on the Left Bank. It’s open everyday from noon until midnight.

Shakespeare & Company
37 Rue de la Bucherie
Paris 75005
tel. 01.43.25.40.93
Métro: Saint-Michel

Photo Credits: Flickr

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