In this Amazon Age, we are remarkably fortunate to have so many wonderful independent English language bookstores in Paris where literature lovers and writers convene.  Here are my favorites:

The Village Voice Bookstore - Located at 6 rue Princess in the 6th arrondissement, this excellent, upscale bookstore is run by the dedicated Odile Hellier and hosts lively readings upstairs.  Volumes of serious literature and philosophy line the shelves ( just found a superb book of interviews with Stockhuasen here) and Odile will always kindly order books she does not have in stock. Click here to visit their site.

Shakespeare and Company - Sylvia Whitman, daughter of the legendary George Whitman, now runs this left bank gem facing Notre Dame.   The place retains its funky mien and still offers shelter to aspiring writers low on the dime.  More recently Sylvia has been organizing a summer literary festival in conjunction with the Mairie de Paris and other high profile sponsors, bringing in big name authors. Check their website for more information.

 The Red Wheelbarrow - This charming, intimate bookstore at 22 rue St. Paul in the Marais should not be missed, and if you’re lucky you might also get treated to an impromptu concert by owner Penelope’s jazz musician husband. You’ll find an excellent selection of contemporary literature and children’s books, selected with care. Penelope keeps books about Paris or written by Paris-based authors up by the cash register. Click here to visit their website.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 at 3:40 pm and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.