Having heard of Elena Ferrante’s very successful books, I went to Tour de Babel looking for an original version to give as a present to my best friend. This little bookshop nested in the Marais district in Paris is a distinct place where time runs slowly and French, English and Italian mix in the conversations.

The nice sound of the languages is also displayed on the tables, where books in Italian mix with books by Italian authors or about Italy in French. Little Tour de Babel has poetry, novels and essays and accepts all kind of orders, so if you are into Dante’s language or would like to read Umberto Eco’s classics as they were written, this is the place to go. It also displays a small gallery space where Italian artists display their works. It’s a really pleasant place to spend some time glancing through books. The attendants are keen on helping and will gladly and multilingually (!) provide you with advice.