Bard’s life
SYLVIA WHITMAN • Shakespeare and Company
WORK • Friday Routine
SYLVIA WHITMAN • bookshop owner • Shakespeare and Company
Neighborhood you live & work in: 5th arr
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I always start the day with a walk along the glistening Seine with Djuna the gorgeous bookshop dog. I need this escape as I live above the bookshop! Before opening our doors, the team takes 15 minutes to talk about the day’s priorities or just the current book we love. Then we open the doors and see who is on our doorstep, and Djuna welcomes all.
What’s on the agenda for today?
At the moment I’m thinking of how to celebrate the bookstore’s upcoming 75th anniversary, as well as finishing work on a new section (art and history books). We’re also thinking about alternatives to current social media outlets and how to stay in touch without the algorithms (after reading Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation and Sarah Wynn-Williams’ Careless People).
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
L’escale on Île Saint-Louis is my favourite spot right now. It’s the kind of place you’d expect to find in the 11th, not the 5th. It has the best music and crowd, and I love that people talk to strangers there.
How about a little leisure or culture?
My sons have insisted on visits to Roland Garros for the tennis tournaments and now I’m into it! It’s always a good idea to catch a live jazz concert by my friend Alex or a classic old movie at either Le Champo or Le Grand Action on Rue des Écoles.
Any weekend getaways?
London for great shows and funky fashion and the buzzing energy! Deauville (the 21st arrondissement de Paris) for some sea-air! And any of the forests near Paris such as Rambouillet, Fontainebleau or Meudon.
What was your last great vacation?
Venice! A classic. Our hotel wasn’t great but we spotted a beauty: Hotel Cipriani. (Its restaurant Cips is great for a special occasion.) Palais des Doges has to be one of the most incredible buildings in the world. As always, we seek out the local bookstores and it’s a great way to get a flavour of the city. The bookshop Damocle Edizioni was particularly special as the owner also prints limited editions of poetry including one of our favourites, Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
A special treat is a facial at AIME.
What store or service do you always recommend?
La Tresorie for homeware
Thanx God I’m a VIP for really organized vintage clothes
My friends Ivan and Benoit at Astier de Villatte make the most original gifts
Where are you donating your time or money?
1% for the Planet. Every year associations pitch for donations to go to their environmental cause and as a team we vote to decide on who to support each year. Last year we donated to support insects, bears, forests and ways to avoid technological waste. This year we’ve focused on Ile de France and chose Veni Verdi and Les Petites Cantines, which offer meals that are healthy, cheap (you pay what you can afford) and communal.