So, you are an aspiring writer and there is a masterpiece inside of you crying to be written. But, you want some solitude, some culture, to be surrounded by books and to find the inspiration to write. But, of course you cannot afford to pay for that privilege. Or are you ready to quit your boring day job in order to write but wonder how to make rent and to eat. You can head to the ‘Shakespeare and co’ bookstore in Paris for all of this and more. It could just change your life.

The iconic ‘Shakespeare and co’ bookstore (and library) run by George Whitman is located in the Latin Quarter of Paris. This is not to be confused with the establishment that belonged to Sylvia Beach that famously published James Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’. Beach bequeathed some of her collection of books and the rights to the store name to Whitman. The original Shakespeare & Co, a happy hunting ground for Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and James Joyce no longer exists.

The present store has been the stuff of legend since it opened in 1951. I won’t describe the store itself because it is one those places you have to discover on your own. But, Henry Miller called it "A wonderland of books" and he is right on target with that description. I find it's kookiness to be somewhat studied rather than spontaneous and it has the complacent air of being famous, name dropping but acting as though it were perfectly natural to do so. But, it is undeniably delightful-books books and more books-and is open incredibly enough from noon to midnight.

But this far more than a book store, owner Whitman, -an American by birth but a Parisian for the last 60 years- thinks of Shakespeare & Co as "a socialist utopia masquerading as a bookstore". Whitman has created a place that supports the written word in every way. From day one he has allowed people-aspiring writers and bibliophiles impecunious as only aspiring creative types can be- to live in the premises for FREE in exchange for helping out at the store.

The spirit of this legendary book lover is captured in the following words. “I may disappear leaving behind me no worldly possessions - just a few old socks and love letters, and my windows overlooking Notre-Dame for all of you to enjoy, and my little rag and bone shop of the heart whose motto is "Be not inhospitable to strangers lest they be angels in disguise,” says George Whitman.

No doubt you are going to ask me “Quick, tell me, what do I do get in”? Author Jeremy Mercer who spent five months there says, “All he asks is that you make your bed in the morning, help out in the shop, and read a book a day.”

That request being not only reasonable but positively pleasurable, the now nonagenarian Whitman has hosted over 50,000 people. Some of the more well known being the beat generation authors like as Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso and William Burroughs. This is a platform like no other for new writers-letting them live for free, network with like-minded individuals and being a forum to give exposure to their work through informal readings thus receiving valuable feedback; all of this in beautiful and cultured Paris. The store also happens to be the hub of English language literary and cultural activities in Paris. There are plenty of book readings, writing workshops and the like to keep you engaged and happy.

The Latin Quarter where the store is located covers parts of the city surrounding the Sorbonne University and is so called because Latin was widely spoken in the middle ages in these areas. It has been the heart and soul of Parisian intelligentsia for centuries. It is lively and literary. The area is full of delightful browsing for books and music; cafes- Greek, Turkish, Armenian, Indian, even vegetarian and the whole area is dotted with parks, churches, and monuments.

So, you get to work in a bookstore with great atmosphere, live across the river Seine with the splendid Notre Dame cathedral looming in the background-more atmosphere, read and write, savor reasonably priced eclectic cuisine from cafés and restaurants nearby; the whole thing does sound like a state of utopia dreamt up by a bibliophile. I agree with you that it that sounds too good to be true, but I assure that it really exists! Just knowing that there is a set up like this somewhere in the world, waiting for us, is a heart warming thought for every cash strapped wannabe writer.

Visit http://shakespeareco.org/ to know more.

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