George Whitman

George Whitman
Born	Template:Birth date East Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	December 14, 2011(2011-12-14) (aged 98) Paris, France
Occupation	Bookseller
Known for	Founder of Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris

George Whitman (December 12, 1913 – December 14, 2011) was an American bookseller who lived predominantly in France. He established and operated the second incarnation of Shakespeare and Company, named in tribute to Sylvia Beach's original Left Bank bookstore that operated from 1919 to 1941. Whitman was a contemporary of literary figures such as Allen Ginsberg, Anaïs Nin, and Lawrence Durrell, and maintained a lifelong friendship with the poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

In recognition of his more than five decades of cultural contributions, Whitman was awarded the Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government in 2006.

Early life and education

Whitman was born in East Orange, New Jersey and grew up in Salem, Massachusetts. During his childhood, he lived for two years in Nanjing, China, where his father served as a guest professor. This period ignited his enduring enthusiasm for travel.

He completed his studies with a journalism degree from Boston University in 1935.

Travels, military service, and first bookstore

Following graduation, Whitman embarked on extensive "hobo adventures," traveling by train-hopping, hitchhiking, and walking across the United States, Mexico, and Central America amid the Great Depression. This formative period influenced his bookstore philosophy: "Give what you can; take what you need."

Between 1940 and 1944, Whitman served in the U.S. Army. He was initially assigned as a medical warrant officer at a remote weather station in Greenland before being stationed at a hospital in Taunton, Massachusetts. During this time, he opened his first bookstore—the Taunton Book Lounge—modeled after Parisian literary salons.

Shakespeare and Company

In August 1946, Whitman arrived in Paris to assist war orphans and subsequently pursued studies in French civilisation at the Sorbonne. He exchanged G.I. rations with fellow veterans for books, gradually building a substantial collection that he made freely available in his hotel room.

With approximately 1,000 volumes and a modest inheritance, he purchased an Arab grocery store in Paris and transformed it into a bookstore located at 37 rue de la Bûcherie on the Left Bank in 1951. Initially called Le Mistral, the shop was renamed Shakespeare and Company in 1964 to honor Sylvia Beach’s earlier establishment. Beach herself visited Whitman’s store and described it as the "spiritual successor" to her own.

Whitman’s bookstore opened two years prior to his friend Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s co-founding of City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco; the two had met in Paris in 1948.

From its inception, Whitman welcomed travelers—many of whom were writers or artists—to reside temporarily at the shop without charge. In exchange, guests were expected to assist with store duties, read at least one book daily, and contribute autobiographical writings to the archives. He affectionately referred to these visitors as "Tumbleweeds," symbolizing their nomadic lifestyle. Since opening in 1951, roughly 30,000 individuals have spent nights among the shelves. Additionally, Whitman hosted Sunday pancake breakfasts featuring homemade syrup.

His daughter Sylvia Whitman, born in 1981, currently oversees Shakespeare and Company together with her partner David Delannet.

In 2006, Whitman was honored with the Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres—one of France's most prestigious cultural awards.

Whitman appeared in the documentary Portrait of a Bookstore as an Old Man (2005), which aired on Sundance Channel; a memorable moment includes him cutting his hair using a candle flame.

On September 26, 2007, NPR's The World broadcasted a segment highlighting Whitman, Sylvia Whitman, and Shakespeare and Company.

Death

Whitman passed away on December 14, 2011, at the age of 98, in his residence located above the bookshop. His final resting place is in Paris at the Père Lachaise Cemetery.

External links

• Shakespeare and Company official website
• George Whitman, Obituary, The New York Times
• Obituary published in The Independent by Marcus Williamson