Adieu, Far-Right Bookstore! Hello Red Wheelbarrow

Penelope Fletcher is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

Penelope Fletcher first opened The Red Wheelbarrow bookstore in the Marais in 2001. Adored by the neighborhood, visitors, and the anglophone literary community of Paris, the Red Wheelbarrow served the right bank from 2001 to 2012, at 13 rue Charles V and 22 rue Saint Paul. Our shop became a well-loved institution hosting author events, book signings, and readings. It was a place for students to get the books on their course syllabus and each year we hosted a children's writing competition.

The shop reopened its doors in 2018 at 9 Rue de Medicis opposite the Luxembourg Gardens. Two weeks before we got the keys, a Far-Right bookshop opened at 11 Rue de Medicis next to our beautiful new bookshop. This didn’t stop us and we’re not done fighting. We stayed afloat as an independently-owned shop through COVID-19 and have continued to grow our bookshop over the years.

In 2021, we rented a second bookshop at 11 Rue de Medicis. We turned No. 9 into our bilingual children's bookstore, the Red Balloon. Our two bookstores, the Red Balloon and the Red Wheelbarrow, now stood on either side of the Far-Right bookstore. While their bookstore sold anti-Semitic, homophobic, racist, xenophobic, and Islamophobic books our bookstore remained a place to find compassionate, radical, and diverse books for both children and adults. We continue to host authors, book launches, and our weekly children's story hour. We promote local publications and independent presses. We cherish our bookshop community and plan to continue to be a welcoming and inclusive space.

And now, in June 2024, VICTORY! Adieu! We got the keys of what was formerly the Far-Right bookstore that sat between The Red Wheelbarrow and The Red Balloon!

Taking on a new space comes with many upfront costs and we need your help to open our doors to the public. This is a massive project which is going to require lots of work, time, and financial assistance. We are asking our bookshop community to aid us in making our third bookstore space a reality. Donations big and small are greatly appreciated. Please help us to spread the word by sharing this fundraiser widely with your family, friends, and community.

Your generous donation will be going towards:

painting the exterior
building maintenance
new signage so everyone knows the far-right has left Rue de Medicis
fixing the old bookshelves
cleaning
staffing
our hefty deposit
paying three rents at our three bookshops
inventory
replacing the windows
accounting
and all the other expenses that come with the rollercoaster of opening another store

Our new space will include more events, more books, and a space for writing workshops! Are you ready to join our fight to combat fascism and keep our door-to-door bookstore open?