City Lights is a landmark general bookstore, internationally known for our expert selection of titles and our commitment to free intellectual inquiry.

Founded in 1953 as the nation’s first all-paperback bookstore, we now offer both hardcovers and paperbacks from all of the major publishing houses, along with an impressive range of titles from smaller, specialty publishers. Our shop features an extensive selection of poetry, fiction, translations, politics, history, philosophy, music, spirituality, and more, with a staff whose special interests in many fields contribute to the hand-picked quality of what you see on the shelves.

Events

Sunday, July 21, 2024, 1:00 pm PST

Poetry In The Alley

Join City Lights for an afternoon of poetry readings in Kerouac Alley from local poets showcasing new work - with George Albon, James Cagney, Garrett Caples, hector son of hector, Evan Kennedy, Barbara Jane Reyes, and Preeti Vangani - Hosted by Peter Maravelis

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Event

Browse Our Shelves

All of the sections you’ll find in our bookstore are available here for browsing!

Merchandise & Gifts

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