SHAKESPEARE AND COMPANY : THE HISTORIC BOOK SHOP IN PARIS

                                            

                                       

( The blogger outside the book store in Paris ) 

 ( The blogger outside Notre dame church ,Paris)

SHAKESPEARE AND COMPANY : THE HISTORIC BOOK SHOP  IN PARIS 

"I created this bookstore like a man would write a novel, building each room like a chapter, and I like people to open the door the way they open a book, a book that leads into a magic world in their imaginations." —George Whitman

 Close to Notre Dame across the  Seine River ,  lies the iconic and historic  book store of Paris known as "Shakespeare And Company' . This more than 100 year old book shop sells books,novels and the literature created by  English authors from every corner of the world . Perhaps the only English book store in France selling books of reputed authors. Its hallowed halls have welcomed literary luminaries like Allen Ginsberg, Ernest Hemingway, and many  more. It has been a meeting place for anglophone writers and readers, becoming a Left Bank literary institution.

Visitors to this book shop  prefer to go up the creaky wooden stairs into the reading room.  The steps hold  one's attention as each one has words painted onto them written by a 14th-century Persian poet, Hafiz. From the reading room, one  can see Notre Dame church which is still under some repairs and renovations after the major fire incident some years back.

The  book store was  opened in 1919 by an American bookseller, Sylvia Beach, originally at 8 rue Dpuytren. It moved a couple of years later to rue de l’Odéon, and it was here, in 1922, that Sylvia published James Joyce’s book, Ulysses, when nobody else would touch the manuscript.About Sylvia Beach , Hemingway wrote this :-

“Sylvia had a lively, sharply sculptured face, brown eyes that were as alive as a small animal's and as gay as a young girl's . . . She was kind, cheerful and interested, and loved to make jokes and gossip. No one that I ever knew wa nicer to me.”

 Unfortunately, during the German occupation of Paris in 1941, the shop was closed and Sylvia never opened it again . She is believed to have been asked by the German soldiers to close the shop after she refused to give them some books . However, Sylvia kept persuading George Whitman,another American in Paris  to set up the book shop once more . In 1959, Beach published her memoir, "Shakespeare and Company", which begins with her childhood in America and ends with the liberation of Paris after the Second World War. Beach passed away in 1962 in Paris.

George Whitman had arrived in Paris after got himself  enrolled at the Sorbonne, studying psychology and French civilization. He  took up residence at the Hôtel de Suez on Boulevard Saint-Michel, where he began a lending library of sorts. He had a thousand titles, his door was always left unlocked, and anyone could come in to read or borrow a book. In 1951,George founded his bookstore-cum-lending library in a former Algerian grocery shop,  directly across the Seine River near Notre-Dame. Originally called Le Mistral, George’s bookshop quickly became a meeting point for the great Paris-based writers of the time.For Whitman though, it was never about making money, it was more about providing generations of writers a chance to hone their craft. He offered something unusual to the authors.  He invited  them to the book store  for completing their manuscripts and also allowed them to sleep inside  the business premises. Some famous names amongst them included Henry Miller, James Baldwin, Ray Bradbury, Lawrence Durrell and Gregory Corso.They were affectionately nicknamed “The Tumbleweeds” by George as he likened them to the plant of the same name. It’s estimated, that 30,000 plus aspiring writers have slept in between the bookcases of this legendary store. The Tumbleweed programme continues to  this day.  It offers  a unique opportunity to unpublished writers to stay at the  bookshop in the heart of Paris, and to contribute to the city's rich and extensive literary culture. The book shop  in Paris is a must-visit destination for book lovers, history enthusiasts, and literary romantics alike.

 Located at 37 rue de la Bûcherie in the 5th arrondissement on the left bank of the Seine River, directly opposite the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the store is visited by tourist from every corner of  the world .The nearest metro station  to this iconic book shop is Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame, just a short walk away. The bookstore was a haven for the 'Lost Generation' of writers, and one could often find literary greats such as Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, T.S Elliot and Ernest Hemingway, to name but a few, hanging out there regularly.

In 1981, George's only daughter was born in Paris and she was given the name Sylvia in honour of Sylvia Beach, the original owner of the  Shakespare And Company. And In 2002, George Whitman ( 1913-2011) handed over the reins to  Sylvia, his daughter, and she  runs it today. Sylvia introduced several new literary endeavors. In June 2003, Shakespeare and Company hosted its first literary festival, followed by three others. Participants over the years have included Paul Auster, Will Self, Marjane Satrapi, Jung Chang, Philip Pullman, Hanif Kureishi, Siri Hustvedt, Martin Amis, and Alistair Horne, among many others.

On December 14, 2011—two days after his 98th birthday—George Whitman died at home, in the apartment above his bookshop. He was buried at Père Lachaise cemetery, surrounded by many of the writers, artists, and intellectuals who inspired his life and his bookshop.

The  sales clerk in this bookstore  stamps   every book with the "Shakespeare and Company" logo upon its sale. That is something fascinating  . And books are shipped to any corner of the world.One can buy a  second-hand or a  new book of  any  well- known author  and  also sell one's old book.On the  display,  I saw books of many new authors  apart from those written by  many  well known authors  of  the 20th and  the 21st century .The shop’s latest projects include a Shakespeare and Company publishing arm.

The book store is open from Monday to Wednesday from 10:00 to 20:00, Thursday to Saturday from 10:00 to 21:00 and on Sunday from 12:00 to 19:00. "Shakespeare And Company "is a brand now. Apart from books, the store sells T-shirts ( Bookshop- Facade)  , tote-bags, stationery items, key rings, pochettes ,mugs ,bottles and many more gift items.Since 2015,  the new promoter diversified the business to survive.  Shakespeare and Company Café has been started in the bookstore to serve special coffee and  tea to the  locals and the visitors alike, alongside a blend of anglo-style sweets and french patisserie. So come in, have your tea or coffee as you read your favourite author with uninterrupted views over Notre Dame and the Seine River. The cafe is open on all days from 9.30 to 19.00 .

In Paris , the bouquinistes are also  the iconic booksellers along the Seine River. They have  set up their green boxes along the quays and offer a diverse collection of new and used books, vintage posters, postcards, and prints to tourists.

( Avtar Mota )

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