France

Paris

Entrepreneur, community activist and artist Jeannine Cook is the founder of a chain of revolutionary bookstores focusing on the achievements of women – and Black women, in particular.

Born in Virginia, Cook resides in Philadelphia and has lived in Paris as a student and teacher. Cook built a name for herself after opening Harriet's Bookshop in Philadelphia, becoming the first woman to open a Black bookstore in a historically white working-class neighbourhood. Her most recent opening is Josephine's Bookshop in Paris, named after entertainer and spy Josephine Baker. Like Cook's other ventures, this shop was designed to be a space for ideas and dialogue around themes such as community, liberation and freedom – values that Baker's life exemplifies. In addition to this, Cook wants the store to be a celebration of Black American culture.

In her guide, Cook shares five spots in Paris for some tranquility, ranging from book-themed restaurants to antique stores.

I like to time travel and there’s nothing like an antique shop when you need to be transported to an era. Soubrier is not just any antique shop. I told the owners their business is older than my country. It’s four storeys of fantastic. I spend hours here dreaming and have asked several times if they would consider letting me move in.

Because our first installation of Josephine’s Bookshop was right across the street from the Jardin du Luxembourg, I walked through there everyday. Of course, I spent almost my entire time in Paris working so I never got to go horseback riding or play the giant chess game or take the horticultural classes, but I have all those reasons to go back again and again.

Open everyday from 8am to 2am, Les Éditeurs is a booklady’s restaurant. You’re surrounded by thousands of them, you get a bookmark with your meal, and they respect when you just need a place to read for a few hours while you eat, think and write without interruption.

When you’re in Paris, but you’re really from Virginia and you’re missing soul food, there’s Treize – which not only provides fantastic wi-fi, but also Southern American delicacies like biscuits. They took such great care of us and even have a drink on the menu dedicated to Josephine Baker.

The Queen Elizabeth II flower market runs along the Seine in the heart of the Île de la Cité with flower sales carried out by a dozen independent merchants. However, the site has gone without investment for decades, and the owners say it is in decline. I love supporting independent merchants and try to do so whenever, wherever and however we get a chance. This place is filled with different stalls, it smells amazing, the colours and design are like medicine to my flower-loving soul. Buying flowers, plants and trees here for Josephine’s feels like a semi-revolutionary act.

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