City Lights Booksellers & Publishers | A Literary Meetingplace Since 1953

Open Daily: 10am – 10pm

Holiday Hours: We are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year’s Day

We’ll close early at 8pm on both Christmas & New Year’s Eve

Welcome to City Lights

A literary meetingplace since 1953, City Lights is a landmark bookstore and publishing house, known for our commitment to innovative writing and progressive ideals.

New Books from City Lights Publishers

Fruto: Bearing the Burden of Care, by Daniela Rea, translated from the Spanish by John Gibler,

Smoke, a novel by Gabriela Alemán, translated from the Spanish by Dick Cluster,

Love Will Save Us, Right? a memoir by Suzette Partido,

and word time, a poetry collection from devorah major!

Get City Lights Gear

Our classic black t-shirt and black tote bag are the perennial favorites, but don’t overlook our onesies, journals and more.

Readings and Events

Click here to learn more about our virtual calendar. We host weekly events with authors from across the publishing world.

New in the Bookstore

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Our Story

City Lights Bookstore was founded by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti in 1953, and became an instant gathering place for readers, writers, artists, and activists. In 1955, Ferlinghetti launched City Lights Publishers with the now-famous Pocket Poets Series. Find out how it all began.

Learn more