The Abbey Bookshop in Paris’s Latin Quarter has for the last twenty years become a cultural epicenter for Canadians, Anglophones, and Anglophiles from all corners of the world. Although offering a wide variety of Canadian books, its main attraction is an eclectic collection of over 35,000 titles in English ranging from scholarly to popular literature.

The shop sits on rue de la Parcheminerie, originally named rue des Escrivains for the scribes and scriveners who were the heart of the Parisian book trade until parchment makers replaced them in the late Middle Ages. On July 1st, 1989 the Abbey Bookshop brought the book trade back to this historic street. The building is the eighteenth-century Hotel Dubuisson, one of the most handsome in the Latin Quarter. The historic “hôtel” is protected as a monument for its picturesque façade, sculptural decoration, and carved doors.

I feel very nice going through its packed shelves with books of all kinds and subjects. If you need a book about a specific subject, do not hesitate, you will find it there. But also if you want a book for the pleasure of reading, ask for advice from the shop attendants, they are all very kind and friendly.