ONLY ON AP Paris bookshop's uncertain future скачать в хорошем качестве

ONLY ON AP Paris bookshop's uncertain future

(5 Nov 2020) ONLY ON AP PARIS BOOKSHOP'S UNCERTAIN FUTURE The owner of an iconic book store in Paris has spoken of the dire situation the shop faces amid the coronavirus pandemic and a second lockdown in the city. Shakespeare & Co, which is over 100 years old and was once frequented by writers such as F Scott Fitzgerald and James Joyce, is one of a large number of small businesses whose future looks grim. Sales are down 80% and owner Sylvia Whitman says the store is even more vulnerable as it faces ruthless competition from online giants selling books to people who are isolating. Online platforms have seen a huge increase in their revenues amid the pandemic. In order to increase the shop's online presence Whitman wants to recreate a network of 'Friends of Shakespeare and Company,' inspired by the initiative of the book shop founder and publisher Sylvia Beach, who during the Great Depression appealed to her friends to keep the bookshop running. "The bigger you are, the more you can ignore laws, you can avoid taxes, you can find loopholes should we say and the smaller you are, the more expensive and the more complicated things are," she says. COVID-19 is not the only reason Parisian retail outlets have struggled; the city also suffered economic damage after the Yellow Vest protests, and a fire at the adjacent Notre Dame cathedral. And the loss is not just financial. "Something I love about bookshops is that you are alone, you can be alone amongst others. It's a sense of solitude and gathering that comes together," she says. "I think that this is really valuable in a society and I do think it's a political choice we have to ask oneself: one thing might be cheaper but is it cheaper in the long run." Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...