Shakespeare & Company

Shakespeare & Company – A Bookshop with a Story

Just across the Seine from Notre Dame lies one of the most famous bookshops in the world: Shakespeare & Company. Founded in 1951 by George Whitman, it quickly became a gathering place for writers, poets, and dreamers. The shop continues the spirit of an earlier bookstore of the same name that supported literary legends like Hemingway, Joyce, and Fitzgerald in the 1920s.

Inside, the shop is a maze of bookshelves packed with English-language books. There are cozy reading nooks, creaky wooden stairs, and a resident cat or two who have become part of the atmosphere. The store is especially loved by travelers, since it feels like a mix of bookshop, library, and cultural salon.

What makes it unique is the tradition of hosting young writers and artists – known as “Tumbleweeds” – who can sleep among the books in exchange for helping out in the store and reading a book a day. This tradition has kept the place full of life and stories.

Shakespeare & Company is more than a bookshop: it’s a living part of Paris’s literary history. Whether you buy a book, attend a reading, or just wander through its narrow aisles, it’s an experience that feels timeless.

Next door, the Shakespeare & Company Café offers coffee, pastries, and vegetarian dishes, making it a perfect spot to sit with a book after browsing the shelves.

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