Sylvia Beach
Sylvia Beach (Nancy Woodbridge Beach) was born on March 14th, 1887. Sylvia passed away October 5th, 1962 at 75 years old. Sylvia Beach was born in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Sylvia Beach was primarily known as the publisher of
Ulysses by James Joyce and the founder of
Shakespeare and Company, the bookstore in Paris. She was very popular during the 1920s as her shop was the center and gathering point for French authors and expatriates who loved American literature.
Despite her accomplishments, Beach never had any formal education. In 1901, she went with her father - who was then a Presbyterian minister - to Paris to serve in an American church. During
World War I, she did volunteer relief work and then served in Serbia with the
American Red Cross.
In 1919, Sylvia Beach opened her bookshop
Shakespeare and Company in a Parisian suburb. She specialized in books published in the United States and Great Britain, which she lent to the large American expatriate community. Her place soon became a gathering place for the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Andrew Gide, and Ernest Hemingway among others.
In 1922, Beach published
Ulysses by James Joyce which had already been rejected by several known publishers in the US and England. The first 1000 copies of the work were sold from her shop and over about a decade, she sold about 28,000 copies of the work.
By this time, Sylvia Beach’s shop was one of the go-to places for literature lovers and only shut down in 1941 when the Germans occupied Paris.
Sylvia Beaches debut work was
Ulysses in Paris, which was published in 1956. It is an autobiographical story of her relationship with James Joyce the Irish novelist and how they went about publishing Ulysses, his magnum opus. Beach describes how they met at a party and her overriding impression of the man whose work she already liked.
In 1959, Sylvia Beach published
Shakespeare and Company, in which she chronicled her life as the owner and proprietor of one of the most popular bookshops in Paris.
She described her fascinating and glamorous life despite money problems, as she told funny stories of how she met and interacted with some very talented friends such as Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and James Joyce among many others.
Related Authors
The most common authors followed by users who also follow Sylvia Beach are:
- Stephen King, author of The Dark Tower Series.
- J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter Series.
- Charles Dickens, author of the novel: A Christmas Carol.
- Carl Hiaasen, author of the novel: Bad Monkey.
- Marion Chesney, author of the Edwardian Murder Mysteries Series.
Sylvia Beach: F.A.Q
When was Sylvia Beach Born?
Sylvia Beach was born on March 14th, 1887.
When did Sylvia Beach die?
Sylvia Beach died on October 5th, 1962 at 75 years old.
Where was Sylvia Beach Born?
Sylvia Beach was born in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
What was the first book Sylvia Beach wrote?
The first book written by Sylvia Beach was Ulysses in Paris, published in 1956.
What was the most recent book Sylvia Beach wrote?
Her most recently released work was The Letters of Sylvia Beach on January 1st, 2010.
How many books has Sylvia Beach written?
Sylvia Beach has written 3 books. All of her books are Non-Fiction Books.