Build your LGBTQI+ library dedicated to the Marais and Gay Paris!
Since 1980, the bookstore LES MOTS À LA BOUCHE has been the iconic Parisian reference and a staple for readers seeking specialized works on LGBTQI+ culture and literature. Established in 1983 at 6 Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, in the heart of Paris’s emerging gay neighborhood, this legendary bookstore had to leave the Marais in 2019 due to skyrocketing rent. Its departure marked a clear signal of the excessive gentrification of the Marais. It also signified the end of an era when browsing its shelves, attending author signings, participating in activist debates, and enjoying its exhibitions felt like a pilgrimage for LGBTQI+ people from France and around the world. The sharp increase in rent nearly led to its demise, but fortunately, the bookstore was able to rise again, albeit outside the Marais.
Since 2019, the bookstore « Les Mots à la Bouche » has relocated to 37 Rue Saint-Ambroise in the 11th arrondissement (metro Saint-Ambroise). Its collection of works is exceptional, and it welcomes visitors every day from 10:30 am to 7:30 pm.
A few minutes’ walk away, at 52 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud (metro Parmentier), you’ll find the bookstore-café VIOLETTE & CO, another feminist, lesbian, and LGBTQIA+ institution that has been active since 2004. With over 6,000 references and a very rich events calendar, it’s a must-visit.
These specialized bookstores are waiting for your visit. However, if you don’t have the time or opportunity to go in person, here is my personal selection of books that explore the history and life of LGBTQI+ Paris and the Marais. You can purchase them online through my site. Enjoy your reading!
