Literature in Paris: finding Anglophone bookshops

Anglophone bookshops - Paris - www.MyFrenchLife.orgParis has a reputation for being a literary haven – Charles Dickens, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway all produced some of their greatest works while living in la ville lumière.

For lovers of literature, there is no better souvenir than a book bought in the same city that inspired it! Here we’ve collated a list of the best Anglophone bookshops in Paris.

So be prepared to lose yourself in Paris through the page!

Shakespeare and Co.

Anglophone bookshops - Paris - www.MyFrenchLife.org
Probably the most famous bookshop in the world, Shakespeare and Co. has always been the haunt of intellectual writers. Today, you can still feel the history of the shop as you walk between the cramped bookshelves.

Selling the latest in literature, here you’ll find plenty to occupy you on the plane home. Located just opposite the grand Notre Dame, you can see why so many of the most influential writers found inspiration here.

Shakespeare Book Company
37 Rue de la Bûcherie, 75005
Métro: Saint-Michel

The Abbey Bookshop

Anglophone bookshops - Paris - www.MyFrenchLife.org
Located just a couple of streets behind Shakespeare and Co., we have never before seen so many books in one room as in The Abbey Bookshop! If you’re brave enough to squeeze between the towering shelves, you won’t be sorry.

You’ll find anything you’re looking for plus plenty more in this charming, bohemian Anglophone bookshop, hidden off the beaten track.

The Abbey Bookshop
29 Rue de la Parcheminerie, 75005
Métro: Odéon

Galignani

Anglophone bookshops - Paris - www.MyFrenchLife.org

Proudly standing on the prestigious rue de Rivoli, this Anglophone bookshop has the distinction of selling not just the latest Anglophone releases, but translations of contemporary French literature too.

The first Anglophone bookshop ever to open in mainland Europe, this one definitely deserves our support!

Galignani
224 Rue de Rivoli, 75001
Métro: Tuileries

WHSmith

Anglophone bookshops - Paris - www.MyFrenchLife.org

British bookshop WHSmith has a branch on the rue de Rivoli, selling more than just Anglophone literature. Perfect for English expats, this shop boasts a food section, filled with British branded foods and regional specialties.

So if you’re craving Heinz or just dying to try some Scottish shortbread, you won’t need to cross the channel.

WHSmith
248 Rue de Rivoli, 75001
Métro: Concorde

I Love My Blender

Anglophone bookshops - Paris - www.MyFrenchLife.org
If you like your independent shops quirky then this is the Anglophone bookshop for you. Located in the effortlessly trendy Marais, I Love My Blender sells a variety of both Anglophone and Francophone literature, alongside some fairly unique souvenirs…

Trust us; you’ll be leaving this shop with more than just a smile on your face!

I Love My Blender
36 Rue du Temple, 75004
Métro: Rambuteau

Have you had the chance to visit any of these wonderful shops? Please share with us your experiences of an Anglophone bookshop and literature in the City of Lights.

Read more on where to find other great Parisian bookstores
2. off the beaten track
3. best Parisian bookshops

 Image Credits:
1. Stacked books, by Ryan Frankline via Flickr.
2. Shakespeare and Co front, by celebrategreatness via Wikimedia.
3. Abbey Bookshop, by Madolan Greene via Flickr.
4. Galignani, by JR_Paris via Flickr.
5. WH Smith, by Zeva B. on Yelp.
6. I Love my Blender, by Evane H. via Yelp. 

About the Contributor

Daisy Naylor

A languages student lucky enough to be living in Paris, I love everything French -literature, film and photography in particular, as well as croissants.

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2 Comments

  1. Jacqueline Dubois Pasquier Sep 16, 2014 at 4:18 PM - Reply

    I was looking for this kind of article about English bookshops in Paris ! Thank you Daisy! Unfortunately none of them could match up a Foyles or Barnes and Nobles and it is hard if not impossible to get copies of newly published books that are not necessarily best sellers, or they ‘re sold out – like recently Hillary Clinton’s ‘Hard Choices’ at Shakespeare &Co. I miss very much ‘The Village Voice’ on rue Princesse, that closed down 2 years ago (http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/au-revoir-village-voice-bookshop). At the moment Galignani is my favorite, but the books are very expensive compared to their original price -yet it is such a beautiful place that strolling in the alleys while peeping at the books titles is worth going ! I am still surprised that with such a large English-speaking community in Paris, the choice for buying books in English is small in comparison. Well, it is probably Amazon’s fault … like for all bookshops in the world!

  2. Jill Craig Sep 17, 2014 at 5:37 PM - Reply

    Thank you Daisy – i didn’t know about the second one, so I’ll definitely have a look next time I’m back! i love Shakespeare and Co and I’ve made some great friends there, but every time I go back now it seems to be overrun by tourists and queued out the door…

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