The Best Independent Bookstores In Quebec City

Quebec City is in many ways the hub of French-language literature in North America, and many of its bookstores are long-standing institutions of Quebec’s literary scene. Although many of them emphasize the diversity of Canadian and international francophone authors, there are always selections of English-language literature as well. Here are some of the bookstores you shouldn’t miss while visiting Quebec City.

Librairie Pantoute

Bookstore, Store, Library

A longstanding institution in Quebec City’s literary scene, Librairie Pantoute was founded in 1972 and the store carries more than 50,000 titles in its inventory. Genres range from literary classics to graphic novels, zines, small press publications, and much more. Most of the books available are in French, though there is a small English section that focus primarily on Canadian literature.

Librarie La Feuille Enchantée

Librarie La Feuille Enchantée has been around for 30 years, focusing mainly on spiritual books. The bookstore offers a pleasant browsing experience, with a calm vibe and oriented toward supporting all aspects of the wellbeing of its customers. La Feuille Enchantée also supplies various objects connected to different forms of spiritual exploration.

Librairie la Liberté

Bookstore

Librairie la Liberté has an engaging team of knowledgeable staff, located on De l’Église Road in Ste-Foy. The bookstore services a couple of local colleges, so the selection tends to focus on their course readings in the areas of foreign and Quebecois literature, as well as cinema, philosophy, and human sciences.

Librarie Nelligan

Bookstore, Store

Librarie Nelligan is jam-packed with books, with almost floor-to-ceiling stock that includes both new and used books. Located in Faubourg Saint-Jean, the selection here includes titles in religion, literature (Quebecois as well as foreign), science, art, philosophy, law, and more.

La Maison Anglaise et Internationale

Bookstore, Library

Since 1984, La Maison Anglaise has housed one of the most extensive selections of English-language books in Quebec City, where francophone bookstores naturally abound. Although they are the largest accredited English bookstore in eastern Quebec, they also specialize in Spanish-language books. All in all, they have over 4 million titles within reach – so this bookstore is not to be missed.

La Librairie Vaugeois

Since 1974, La Librairie Vaugeois has served up the best of classic and new literature in the heart of Sillery, in Quebec City. La Librairie Vaugeois is a large, open space filled with a diverse range of books, including comics, travel guides, Quebecois and French literature, and magazines.

About the author

Emily Paskevics

Emily is a writer currently based in Montreal, Canada. She works with a number of online and print publications, mainly pursuing stories about arts and culture, travel, nature, and local history.