When Sylvia Beach opened Shakespeare and Company at Rue de l'Odeon, surprise! There was still Spanish Flu, because it was 1919 and the second wave was running in Europe.
Oh, it was so romantic the reality created in Europe by that girl from Princeton called Sylvia Beach.
That bookstore where books could be brought home for an undefined time for being read (it was also a sort of library) meant to the American and British community located for the most diversified reasons in Paris an incredible richness. New talents were discovered and thanks to the kind heart of Sylvia Beach and her devotion for James Joyce, Ulysses, at least was released. At the same time, close and strong was her friendship with Ernest Hemingway, Francis Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein and many other people of letters.
With the arrival also of the Second World War the idea of closing the bookstore was more than real.
If a season was over, in terms of literature and its fertility, during the 1950s George Whitman, a Communist from Boston opened a new bookstore that later became Shakespeare and Company name blessed by the same Sylvia Beach. Whitman was an eccentric person in grade to realize his utopia of living in a socialist corner of the world where knowledge was the only food for the soul and body and where everyone could find what they loved to read. His most suggested book was The Idiot, to him the best masterpiece of all literature.
He opened as first a little bookstore but at the moment Shakespeare and Company is a reality extremely big and diversfied and apparently rich.
These past days we received a scaring e-mail from Shakespeare and Company because they said they can't continue in this way. Two lockdowns mean to the people, workers, tumbleweeds, owners, the daughter of Whitman, Sylvia
, a
big financial stress and they are asking to everyone for help.
How can you donate to Shakespeare and Company?
Look: the bookstore will be closed, INCLUDING the online bookstore till December 1. They can't accept orders sent via e-mail or phone, only the so-called "Call&Collect" but from people located in Paris.
The bookstore is thankful to everyone who placed an order these past weeks. As soon as possible they will ship orders.
But...How can you help Shakespeare And Company in this phase?
With the new initiative Friends of Shakespeare And Company, a one-year membership created to support the shop financially and spiritually through 2021.
It starts with 45 euros per year and they will ship to you things of the store. Mix of videos, audio, new writings, a video tour created by Sylvia Beach.
Of course you can donate much much more till at 500 euros if you can! And please, do that!
In this case if you will donate before November 15, hurry, hurry! you will also receive an exclusive sketch of your face or one of your beloved one created by Dave Eggers or a hand drawn-doodle by Neil Gaiman!!!
If you can't donate 45 euros for the year, no problem, you can donate less!
Contact at this e-mail: friends@shakespeareandcompany.com and explain how much money you can donate per year.
Impossible to believe that, under the pandemic scaring Spanish Flu, Sylvia Beach opened that little reality at Rue de l'Odeon and now, with Covid-19 Sylvia Beach Whitman should potentially close Shakespeare and Company.
A temptation that shouldn't never be taken in consideration. It can't close. Simply ;-)
Anna Maria Polidori
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