Paris: A Books and Letters Tour

A new matchbox-sized letterpress studio; the best niche booksellers; a tidy list of standout museums; and a wildly inspiring public library that looks straight from a medieval fairytale

The sole proprietor/letterpress artist behind Salt & Cedar, Megan O’Connell—widely considered a master of her craft—recently opened a sliver of a studio in the Marais. She has just enough room for her rudimentary manual press (the same style of Vandercook she has used for more than 40 years) and collection of rare type sourced from Grenoble, Marseille and Paris. Her broadsides, experimental posters and artist editions have made their way around the world.

After working and teaching in Portland, Oregon, Detroit and Berlin, Megan is approaching three years in Paris, where the vibrant arts and letters scene is a constant font of inspiration. In a recent conversation, Megan shares her incomparable list of niche booksellers, important libraries, and favorite museums, field trips and flea markets. 

As a typography and book enthusiast, what are your favorite booksellers in Paris? 

Yvon Lambert is a curated bookstore with an ever-changing gallery space, focused on art, typography, artist editions, architecture, art criticism, periodicals, posters and in-house printed works. A tiny cosmopolitan gem of a bookstore, After 8 Books hosts an ongoing series of readings and book talks in English and French centering around poetry, literature, art, politics, criticism and translation. La Belle Hortense is a fabulous wine bar/bookstore serving food prepared across the street at Au Petit Fer à Cheval.

Perrotin Bookstore Paris