10 Literary Graves In Paris Every Book Lover Should Visit

OT Staff & Waquar Habib

Oscar Wilde (Père Lachaise)

Oscar Wilde’s tomb in Père Lachaise, carved by Jacob Epstein, draws literary pilgrims; restored and now protected, it preserves his wit, queer legacy and famous inscriptions, visited year-round by admirers.

The grave of Oscar Wilde showered with love from fans | cemetery_stories/instagram

Marcel Proust (Père Lachaise)

Marcel Proust’s modest grave at Père Lachaise invites quiet reflection; fans linger on dates and epitaphs, recalling Proust’s probing novels of memory and Parisian society and visitors pay homage year-round.

The grave of the author Marcel Proust | davidleekollberg/instagram

Samuel Beckett (Montparnasse)

Samuel Beckett’s tomb in Cimetière du Montparnasse is understated; the Nobel laureate’s final resting place reflects his terse prose and austere humour, attracting literary pilgrims and scholars from worldwide communities.

A shot of the grave of the master absurdist, Samuel Beckett | timeastonsongwriter/instagram

Jean-Paul Sartre & Simone de Beauvoir (Montparnasse)

Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir share a Montparnasse grave; their joint resting place honours existentialism, attracting thinkers who leave notes, flowers and philosophical reflections penned by visitors over decades.

A shot of the grave of Jean-Paul Sartre & Simone de Beauvoir | Wikimedia Commons

Charles Baudelaire (Montparnasse)

Charles Baudelaire lies in Montparnasse’s family vault; his grave draws those reverent for Les Fleurs du mal, offering sombre, fragrant moments amid the cemetery’s poetic atmosphere throughout the year regularly.

A shot of the grave of French poet Charles Baudelaire | Wikimedia Commons

Honoré de Balzac (Père Lachaise)

Honoré de Balzac’s elaborate tomb in Père Lachaise commemorates his vast Comédie Humaine; visitors admire the sculpted monument and ponder his relentless chronicling of nineteenth-century Paris with guidebooks and notes.

The grave of Honoré de Balzac with his bust on top | Wikimedia Commons

Stéphane Mallarmé (Père Lachaise)

Stéphane Mallarmé’s grave at Père Lachaise marks the resting place of a symbolist poet; readers leave verses and tokens, drawn to his elliptical, influential contributions to modern poetry and study.

Tomb of Stéphane Mallarmé | Wikimedia Commons

Paul Verlaine (Père Lachaise)

Paul Verlaine’s grave in Père Lachaise attracts those moved by his musical verse and turbulent life; visitors often leave roses and handwritten poems at the poet’s weathered stone year-round regularly.

Grave of the poet Paul Verlaine | Wikimedia Commons

Alexandre Dumas (Père Lachaise)

Alexandre Dumas's tomb at Père Lachaise celebrates the novelist’s adventurous spirit; swashbuckling fans visit to photograph the imposing monument and recall d’Artagnan and The Three Musketeers with literary tours.

The tomb of Alexandre Dumas | Wikimedia Commons

Colette (Père Lachaise)

Colette’s grave in Père Lachaise honours France’s novelist-dramatist; visitors admire her grave’s discreet inscription, reflecting her candid depictions of love, independence and Parisian modernity, and leave flowers or notes often.

The grave of Colette | thefussylibrarian/instagram

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Nicholson's Cemetery at Kashmere Gate | Wikimedia Commons: nilesh korgaokar
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