The Paris’bouquinistes are the largest open air bookshop in Europe . A stroll through the bouquinistes’ stalls is a genuine experience and a real pleasure. And this is one of the most iconic symbols of Paris.
Paris wouldn’t be the same without its bookstalls !
Bouquinistes in 1920
in brief
The “bouquinistes’ (= Paris’ bookstalls) are traditional secondhand booksellers located along the quays of the rive Seine.
In “A moveable feast” Hemingway,mentions the bouquinistes; Hemingway used to visit the bookstalls and buy second-hand books there, especially on the left bank (Hemingway has spent all his Parisian years on the left bank (first in the Latin Quarter, then, in Montparnasse, then in Saint Germain des Prés, and finally in the South part of Montparnasse.
Hemingway and the bouquinistes
In “A moveable feast” Hemingway,mentions the bouquinistes; Hemingway used to visit the bookstalls and buy second-hand books there, especially on the left bank (Hemingway has spent all his Parisian years on the left bank (first in the Latin Quarter, then, in Montparnasse, then in Saint Germain des Prés, and finally in the South part of Montparnasse.
Hemingway in 1922. I was living in the 5th arrondissement of Paris.
Hemingway wrote :
“In the bookstalls along the quais, you could sometimes find American books that had just been published for sale very cheaply…if the people (in the Tour d’Argent’s
rooms) who lived there left any books. Behind there was a bookstall not far along the quai where the valet de chambre sold them and you could buy them from the proprietress for a very few francs…. After that bookstall near the Tour d’Argent, there were no others that sold American and English books entitle Quai des Grands Augustins” (in A Moveable feast – Chapter 4 – People of the Seine)
Among the other most famous bookstalls’ customers, François Mitterrand, French president (from 1981 to 1995) liked to “browse” the river banks, then walking back home (rue de Bièvre – Paris 5) followed by his two bodyguards !
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Some figures
- around 1000 boxes, extending for 2,8 kilometers along the banks of the Seine :
- 240 booksellers
- 3 kms along the river Seine
- Since the 16th century
- more than 300 000 items : books and magazines and many others items
- Opened daily from the morning to sunset ( but generally from 11am). Then the “boxes are locked with padlocks
Bouquinistes painting, by Henry Malfroy (1895-1944)
Where does the word “bouquiniste” come from ? (Bouquinistes = bookstalls)
The word “bouquiniste” is formed with the word “bouquin”.
The Bouquinistes are the shopsellers who sell “bouquins” ! (The term “bouquiniste” appeared in the dictionary of the French Academy in 1762.)
Bouquin doesn’t mean exactly “book”. The classic and exact French translation for book is : “livre”. Actually, “livre” and bouquin” are synonymous but with a slight difference (more details/explanation below).
The word “bouquin”
The word “bouquin” was originally used to depict an old book. Nowadays, “bouquin” is more often used to depict a book in a familiar way, a bit closer to French slang for book. It’s not rude at all to use the word “bouquin”, but it’s a much less elegant way of speaking… less litterary !!! The word “bouquin” come from the old dutch word (17th c) : boeckjijn ou boekin
My personal note : The bookstalls are so much a part of Paris’ landscape. Nevertheless, too often bypassed by Parisians and visitors.
When I walk along the Seine, I alway feel how pleasant it is to stroll along this huge open-air bookshop in the wonderful setting of the Seine with Notre Dame, the Conciergerie or Le Louvre in the background.
What do they look like ?
They are dark green color. In French, we call their color : “green wagon”.
It refers to the dark green of old train carriages. The color has been strictly defined since 1891, so as to be in harmony with the Wallace fountains and the Morris columns.
And we call them : “boîtes” (= “boxes”). They are made with metal and are hanging on the parapets of the banks of the Seine.
- They are all the same size (size fixed since 1930)
- Length : 2 meters
- Between each box : 20cm.
- Width : 0.75 meters.
- The upper edge of the opened cover mustn’t be higher than 2.10 meters above the ground .
They are registered on the UNESCO world heritage since 1991.
Where to find them ?
- On the right bank from Marie bridge (= Pont Marie Paris 4 – Marais neighborhood – Metro stop Pont Marie or Saint Paul) to Louvre bank ( = Quai du Louvre – nearby Le Louvre)
- On the left bank from Tournelle bank ( = Quai de la Tournelle – Paris 5 – Latin Quarter) to Voltaire bank ( = Quai Voltaire, nearby Orsay Museum and the rue du Bac)
Being a bookseller
Four boxes are allowed for each bookseller (4 boxes of 2 meters long for each bookseller). The booksellers don’t pay any tax nor rent but they need to get a license ( a yearly renewable license, issued by the City of Paris). They must be open at least 4 days a week.
What do they offer ?
They originally used to offer (and still do !) : second hand books (including rare editions of novels), prints, old magazines, old manuscripts and newspapers, old photos, posters, and collectable postcards.
You can find French books as well as English books.
Prices are generally displayed even for old and rare items. And you can most often find something to enjoy (a book or any other items) from 1 euro !
With the increase in tourism, now, they also offer Paris souvenirs (key rings, and other souvenir gifts) too.
However, the city of Paris ask them to focus their offer mostly on their original activity and to minimize the offer of touristic souvenirs.
Thus, only 1 of the 4 boxes (at most) can be dedicated to tourist souvenirs.
Each bookseller tend to have his own specialty.
For instance, a bookseller can choose to have international customers and so, is selling the American magazine “National Geographic” and english magazine published since 1888, but he is selling French literature, science fiction and detective novels too.
A bit of History
The tradition was born around the 16th century. Itinerant booksellers were selling books, travelling back and forth along the Seine and on the Pont Neuf too ( = the oldest Paris’ bridge).
In the 19th century, the first bouquinistes settled on the Quai Voltaire in 1821, installing their boxes permanently.
My suggestions :
Combine a stroll along the bouquinistes with a walk in the “Latin Quarter” or a visit of the Sainte Chapelle (located on Ile de la Cité), a visit of Notre Dame, or Orsay Museum, or Shakespeare and Company bookshop.
In “A moveable feast” Hemingway,mentions the bouquinistes; Hemingway used to visit the bookstalls and buy second-hand books there, especially on the left bank (Hemingway has spent all his Parisian years on the left bank (first in the Latin Quarter, then, in Montparnasse, then in Saint Germain des Prés, and finally in the South part of Montparnasse.
