In an increasingly digital world, it is these iconic brick and mortar bookshops around the world that still hold great promise and hope for die-hard bibliophiles and serve as sanctuaries where they can lose themselves in the sight, smell and feel of crisp pages.
By Raul Dias
Shakespeare and Company, Paris
Since 1951, 37 Rue de la Bûcherie on Paris’ Left Bank has seen the legendary Shakespeare and Company cater to millions of book lovers. Offering them not just juicy morsels in the form of their favourite reads—which they are free to peruse through—but also a place to bed down for the night for free! Yes, this bookshop has several beds interspersed between its bookshelves and truly lives up to its motto of “Be Not Inhospitable to Strangers Lest They Be Angels in Disguise,” that’s even emblazoned above the entry way to the reading section. And while you’re leafing thr uoough the works of the greats like Hugo, Balzac and of course Shakespeare, take a moment to go through the bookshop’s very own coffee table book titled Shakespeare and Company, Paris: A History of the Rag & Bone Shop of the Heart that came out in 2016.
37 Rue de la Bûcherie, 75005 Paris, France
+33 1 43 25 40 93
shakespeareandcompany.com
Libreria Acqua Alta, Venice
Literally meaning ‘High Water Bookstore’, Libreria Acqua Alta is housed on the Calle Longa Santa Maria Formosa, next to Venice’s Piazza San Giovanni e Paolo and has a decidedly shabby chic feel to it—what with its flea market-meets-wacky bookshop appearance. But despite this, it is often referred to as the world’s most beautiful bookshop and is a repository for books like old editions of the works of greats like Dante to modern fiction of the Dan Brown kind. Interestingly, paying the ultimate tribute to the ‘water wonderland’ that is Venice, this quirky bookshop houses its books in everything from bathtubs and washbasins to… get this, a life-size gondola!
Calle Longa S. Maria Formosa, 5176/b, 30122 Castello, Venice, Italy
+39 041 296 0841
The Last Bookstore, Los Angeles
This bookshop with a rather ominous name, may not have a rich legacy to rely on, what with it having been established only in 2005. But what it lacks in years, it more than makes up for in prowess. All of 22,000 sq. ft. in downtown LA, this store is actually a collection of small stores within the main space. So, while you will find 250,000 new and second-hand books on the first two floors, including the new Arts & Rare Book Annex, it also has a shared space that house vinyl records and graphic novels. In addition to this, it also has a mammoth mezzanine level that includes The Labyrinth Above the Last Bookstore, Gather Yarn Shop, and the Spring Arts Collective gallery shops. What’s interesting about The Labyrinth is that it features a maze-like space that stocks over 100,000 used books that are all sold at $1 each!
453 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90013, USA
+1 213-488-0599
lastbookstorela.com
Livraria Lello, Porto
Though we’re loathe to pick favourites on a selection of such wonderful bookshops around the world, this stunning bookshop in the portside city of Porto in Portugal is worthy of every single hyperbole! Rua das Carmelitas, a short walk from the city center is where this store that resembles the inside of an old wooden ship has been housed since 1906 (it opened at another location in 1869). A winding mahogany double staircase leads you up to the higher floors where you will find a treasure trove of books—both in Portuguese and other languages—on shelves that are set between pillars that are decorated with bronze bas-reliefs of Portuguese literature figures. Don’t miss checking out the tiny tracks on the floor that are used by the staff for sliding ladders and carts laden with books.
R. das Carmelitas 144, 4050-161 Porto, Portugal
+351 22 200 2037
livrarialello.pt
Powell’s City of Books, Portland
Besides it’s moniker of ‘America’s Weirdest City’, Portland also has one other calling card that gives it some serious street cred as a bibliophile’s paradise—Powell’s City of Books. Located in downtown Portland’s Pearl District, this bookstore is the largest second-hand and new bookstore in the world, occupying an entire city block and housing approximately one million books. Established in 1971, it has a plethora of titles ranging from vintage cookery to indigenous native American history. The store is so large that every Sunday, there is a free public tour offered. On this 45-minute tour, one is given a brief history of the gargantuan bookstore, from the Pillar of Signatude to a sneak peek into their Rare Book room.
1005 W Burnside St, Portland, OR 97209, USA
+1 800-878-7323
powells.com
The Indian Quintet
While we’re still coming to grips the recent shutting down of one of the country’s most revered bookshops—Mumbai’s Strand Book Stall, here’s a list of five other iconic Indian bookshops.
1. Dasgupta & Co, Kolkata: A virtual institution that’s part of the College Street posse of bookshops, this historic bookstore was established in 1886 and is still the go-to place to procure the first editions of various rare publications.
2. The Book Shop, New Delhi: Simply called ‘Book Shop’ this spartan, yet treasure trove of amazing reads in New Delhi’s Jor Bagh truly lives up to its name. Opened in 1970, this store may be a tad cramped and crowded, but you’ll always find whatever you are looking for here!
3. Kitab Khana, Mumbai: Located in a historic building in the city’s culture and arts hub of Fort, this large, airy bookshop stocks books not just in English and Hindi, but also in other regional and international languages.
4. Literati Book Shop and Café, Goa: Housed in a picturesque cottage in Calangute, this bookstore-cum-café is the perfect place to leaf through both second-hand and new books while tucking into a scrumptious lemon tea cake.
5. Leaping Windows, Bengaluru: A slight departure from the other bookshops on this list, in that it is comic bookstore and library, this Indiranagar shop makes the cut thanks to its mindboggling collection of comic book and magazine titles available for purchase or rent.
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the April 2018 issue of Jetwings Domestic in-flight magazine of Jet Airways http://www.jetairways.com/EN/IN/jetexperience/magazines.aspx)
By Raul Dias
Shakespeare and Company, Paris
Since 1951, 37 Rue de la Bûcherie on Paris’ Left Bank has seen the legendary Shakespeare and Company cater to millions of book lovers. Offering them not just juicy morsels in the form of their favourite reads—which they are free to peruse through—but also a place to bed down for the night for free! Yes, this bookshop has several beds interspersed between its bookshelves and truly lives up to its motto of “Be Not Inhospitable to Strangers Lest They Be Angels in Disguise,” that’s even emblazoned above the entry way to the reading section. And while you’re leafing thr uoough the works of the greats like Hugo, Balzac and of course Shakespeare, take a moment to go through the bookshop’s very own coffee table book titled Shakespeare and Company, Paris: A History of the Rag & Bone Shop of the Heart that came out in 2016.
37 Rue de la Bûcherie, 75005 Paris, France
+33 1 43 25 40 93
shakespeareandcompany.com
Libreria Acqua Alta, Venice
Literally meaning ‘High Water Bookstore’, Libreria Acqua Alta is housed on the Calle Longa Santa Maria Formosa, next to Venice’s Piazza San Giovanni e Paolo and has a decidedly shabby chic feel to it—what with its flea market-meets-wacky bookshop appearance. But despite this, it is often referred to as the world’s most beautiful bookshop and is a repository for books like old editions of the works of greats like Dante to modern fiction of the Dan Brown kind. Interestingly, paying the ultimate tribute to the ‘water wonderland’ that is Venice, this quirky bookshop houses its books in everything from bathtubs and washbasins to… get this, a life-size gondola!
Calle Longa S. Maria Formosa, 5176/b, 30122 Castello, Venice, Italy
+39 041 296 0841
The Last Bookstore, Los Angeles
This bookshop with a rather ominous name, may not have a rich legacy to rely on, what with it having been established only in 2005. But what it lacks in years, it more than makes up for in prowess. All of 22,000 sq. ft. in downtown LA, this store is actually a collection of small stores within the main space. So, while you will find 250,000 new and second-hand books on the first two floors, including the new Arts & Rare Book Annex, it also has a shared space that house vinyl records and graphic novels. In addition to this, it also has a mammoth mezzanine level that includes The Labyrinth Above the Last Bookstore, Gather Yarn Shop, and the Spring Arts Collective gallery shops. What’s interesting about The Labyrinth is that it features a maze-like space that stocks over 100,000 used books that are all sold at $1 each!
453 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA 90013, USA
+1 213-488-0599
lastbookstorela.com
Livraria Lello, Porto
Though we’re loathe to pick favourites on a selection of such wonderful bookshops around the world, this stunning bookshop in the portside city of Porto in Portugal is worthy of every single hyperbole! Rua das Carmelitas, a short walk from the city center is where this store that resembles the inside of an old wooden ship has been housed since 1906 (it opened at another location in 1869). A winding mahogany double staircase leads you up to the higher floors where you will find a treasure trove of books—both in Portuguese and other languages—on shelves that are set between pillars that are decorated with bronze bas-reliefs of Portuguese literature figures. Don’t miss checking out the tiny tracks on the floor that are used by the staff for sliding ladders and carts laden with books.
R. das Carmelitas 144, 4050-161 Porto, Portugal
+351 22 200 2037
livrarialello.pt
Powell’s City of Books, Portland
Besides it’s moniker of ‘America’s Weirdest City’, Portland also has one other calling card that gives it some serious street cred as a bibliophile’s paradise—Powell’s City of Books. Located in downtown Portland’s Pearl District, this bookstore is the largest second-hand and new bookstore in the world, occupying an entire city block and housing approximately one million books. Established in 1971, it has a plethora of titles ranging from vintage cookery to indigenous native American history. The store is so large that every Sunday, there is a free public tour offered. On this 45-minute tour, one is given a brief history of the gargantuan bookstore, from the Pillar of Signatude to a sneak peek into their Rare Book room.
1005 W Burnside St, Portland, OR 97209, USA
+1 800-878-7323
powells.com
The Indian Quintet
While we’re still coming to grips the recent shutting down of one of the country’s most revered bookshops—Mumbai’s Strand Book Stall, here’s a list of five other iconic Indian bookshops.
1. Dasgupta & Co, Kolkata: A virtual institution that’s part of the College Street posse of bookshops, this historic bookstore was established in 1886 and is still the go-to place to procure the first editions of various rare publications.
2. The Book Shop, New Delhi: Simply called ‘Book Shop’ this spartan, yet treasure trove of amazing reads in New Delhi’s Jor Bagh truly lives up to its name. Opened in 1970, this store may be a tad cramped and crowded, but you’ll always find whatever you are looking for here!
3. Kitab Khana, Mumbai: Located in a historic building in the city’s culture and arts hub of Fort, this large, airy bookshop stocks books not just in English and Hindi, but also in other regional and international languages.
4. Literati Book Shop and Café, Goa: Housed in a picturesque cottage in Calangute, this bookstore-cum-café is the perfect place to leaf through both second-hand and new books while tucking into a scrumptious lemon tea cake.
5. Leaping Windows, Bengaluru: A slight departure from the other bookshops on this list, in that it is comic bookstore and library, this Indiranagar shop makes the cut thanks to its mindboggling collection of comic book and magazine titles available for purchase or rent.
(An edited version of this article first appeared in the April 2018 issue of Jetwings Domestic in-flight magazine of Jet Airways http://www.jetairways.com/EN/IN/jetexperience/magazines.aspx)
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