“Books Are In The Air:” From Installations To Events, Paris Is Having A Literaissance
The Seine in Paris has been described as the only river in the world that runs between two bookshelves, an affectionate description of the bouquinistes that line its banks. The tradition of selling second-hand books began in the 16th century and is still beloved today. From the Seine to the salons of the 18th century and the cafés of the 20th century, the city’s literary scene reached its zenith in the 1920s with the Lost Generation of expat writers drawn to Paris in search of creative freedom and inspiration. Writers such as Ernest Hemingway, F Scott Fitzgerald, and Gertrude Stein frequented the bohemian neighbourhoods of Montparnasse and Montmartre, alongside artists and intellectuals. The publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses by Sylvia Beach’s original Shakespeare & Co. Bookstore at 12 rue de l’Odéon in 1922 cemented Paris’ status as a literary capital.
Paris-based author Yelena Moskovich launched three of her four novels at the modern-day Shakespeare & Co., which opened in 1951 and was named after Beach’s notable store. Moskovich’s most recent book, Nadezhda In The Dark, was launched in the newly renovated upstairs salon. “It’s a Parisian temple of the bookish,” she says, “where the ceiling of the first floor was opened up to create a half-moon balcony lit in a lime glow by their signature green-tinted chandelier, so the writer reads on level and from above, and their voice carries from floor to ceiling and throughout the shelves.”
The city, though steeped in literary history, is experiencing a modern literaissance through new bookshop spaces and events. Karl Lagerfeld’s private library-turned-bookstore – the Chanel-owned 7L Bookshop – was rebooted in December 2023, playing host to multidisciplinary programmes, live performances and readings. There’s also the Saint Laurent Babylone boutique, devoted to a curation of books by the fashion house’s creative director Anthony Vaccarello and home to DJ sessions and cultural happenings. Dover Street Market’s new Paris location, opening this year, will include a space devoted to books called Libraire 1909. And in the city’s upmarket department store Le Bon Marché, Sarah Andelman – co-founder of the now-defunct Parisian fashion institution Colette – curated the installation Mise En Page, a celebration of books and literary talent named after the French saying explaining the physical arrangement of text on a page.
“Last summer, I noticed things such as girls with Daunt Books bags, Balenciaga [using a] book as their show invite, and Liya [Kibede’s] new brand Liyabrairie [which offers leather straps to cary your current read around like a stylish bag], ” explains Andelman. “I noticed books were ‘in the air’.”
In her Mise En Page space, running until 21 April, guests can leaf through Andelman’s curated selection of titles, as well as exclusive products and collaborations created with aesthetes and bookworms in mind. Alexandra Carl hosted a signing for her book Collecting Fashion and there’s a conversation with Frederic Malle, Jean-Philippe Delhomme, Lindsey Tramuta and Charles Pignal on the 18 April.
Beyond Le Bon Marché, Andelman’s Parisian book haunts include Shakespeare & Co., alongside lesser-known local gems. “I love the energy and the mess at 0fr or the selection at Yvon Lambert, [and] don’t miss Ex Libris during your visit in Paris,” she advises. “But the most incredible place I can think of is Karl Lagerfeld’s library beyond his bookshop 7L on Rue de Lille.”
For Moskovich, Paris will always be a city for bibliophiles. “It’s a city that has a history of taking writing seriously and treating books and authorship with reverence, both in the cultural spirit and the daily experience of aesthetic rapture.”
Divya Bala is a Paris-based journalist, writer and editorial consultant who has written for publications including Vogue, Sunday Times Style and the Financial Times
