CALLIGRAMME, ZÜRICH

 

‘There’s a lot of talk about the crisis in the book industry. Yet, many people remain loyal to the printed, three-dimensional, sensual book.’ 

Calligramme – named after Guillaume Apollinaire’s poetry collection – was founded by Helen Lehmann in 1984. Behind the counter, which she filled with postcards and photos of her favorite authors, she enjoyed smoking cigarettes and chatting with visitors ‘in the voice of an old Hollywood film actress’ as one customer recalls. 

Since then, different booksellers are behind the counter, but they too recognise the indispensable cultural value of the place: ‘There is a lot of talk about the crisis in the book industry. Yet, many people remain loyal to the printed, three-dimensional, sensual book. They appreciate personal advice, flipping through pages and talking about literature.’