Foreign language is no barrier to finding good reading material in Paris for the expat and tourist community, thanks to a strong network of new and second-hand English bookshops.

The best collection of contemporary new titles and international magazines is to be found at WHSmith. Though by no means the only outlet, the store offers unparalleled range. What it doesn’t have staff will order, a practice commonly adhered to among the city’s other booksellers. The one thing to keep in mind is prices: due to import costs on English-language books prices are slightly higher than you would normally expect to pay. Most boutiques dealing in new books offer online purchase and delivery.

Foragers can head straight to the bouquinistes positioned along the Seine around Pont Neuf, where permanent vendors deal in all thing paper: from old and interesting second-hand books, to collector’s magazines and posters. More second-hand treasures can be found at The Village Voice, a fantastic resource for used books – in English – in St Germain.

The yearly Salon du Livre (www.salondulivreparis.com) at the exhibition centre at Port de Versailles runs in March, where hundreds of publishers display all manner of unique and interesting titles. Daily readings and author’s signings are also a highlight.