Mid-May, we were surprised to see that the legendary Boulinier bookstore set on the Boulevard Saint-Michel in Paris was closing. Three Gibert Joseph group bookstores in France are also about to close. And now, two other Parisian bookstores set in the Latin Quarter must close down.
As told by our peers at Le Figaro, Picard & Epona and Mazarine bookstores respectively set on rue Séguier since 106 and rue Mazarine are closing down.
The first one, belonging to the Actes Sud group specialized in archeology, antique history and architecture lowered the shutters on May 29th. “The decision to close down Picard & Epona was made before lockdown” Actes Sud director Françoise Nyssen tells Le Figaro. She adds the idea to target “originals and youth book did not work”.
As for the Mazarine bookstore, it is about to close down as well. “I have been looking for a successor for my bookstore for a year and a half. But I am specialized in ancient books and nobody wants it anymore” bookstore owner Pierre Durieu said.
For the record, the Latin Quarter is not the only Parisian area hit by the closure of bookstores. Les Mots à la Bouche in Le Marais closed down to let way to a Doc Martens store.
