Sylvia

          Bonsoir, my friends!  My name is Sylvia and I live in the 5th arrondissement of Paris.   While I'm not allowed inside, my owners like to walk me around the famous bookstore, Shakespeare and Co.  I hear them talk about the shop all the time.  They talk about its extensive history and the well-known authors and artists that have spent time there over the years.  Shakespeare and Co was a place for these artists and writers to explore other genres and forms of writing and art in a safe and inspiring place.  One cool thing about the bookstore when it first opened was that it was not just a bookstore, but also allowed for books to be checked out like a library.  It was a place for everyone, even those who couldn't afford to buy the books.

          The history of Shakespeare and Co is just as interesting as the people and books that inhabited its walls.  The current location of the store was not the original building.  Sylvia Beach opened the original Shakespeare and Co in 1919 on rue de l'Odéon.  The area was known for little bookshops that famous writers of the time, such as James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway, hung out in.  A few decades later during the German occupation of WW 2, Sylvia had to close its doors and unfortunately they never opened again.  Then in 1951, George Whitman opened up another bookstore in the current location, but later renamed it to Shakespeare and Co in 1961 to honor Sylvia.  The current Shakespeare and Co ran for 50 years under Whitman's management until his death in 2011.  Now, it is run by Whitman's daughter, aptly named Sylvia Beach Whitman.

          Shakespeare and Co represents one of the best parts of Paris.  The bookstore was and still is used as a safe place for freedom of expression and education.  Even in times of restriction, the bookstore was there for famous and not so famous artists and writers to enjoy and be themselves.  I fully believe Paris is the place for artists and writers and Shakespeare and Co should be the first place a newcomer in Paris should visit.

Me in an awkward situation...

The outside of the store.  The only part I get to see.