Vigna in Nice: Where Queer Books Breathe and Memories Live On

Right in the heart of Nice, there’s a bookshop where stories don’t just sit quietly on shelves — they whisper, provoke, and sometimes even shout.

Welcome to Librairie Vigna, an independent, feminist, and queer bookstore founded in 2011 by Marie-Hélène Dampérat en Françoise Vigna.

For over a decade, the pair has cultivated a space that’s more than a bookstore. It’s a haven — warm, unapologetic, and deeply engaged in highlighting LGBTQIA+ and feminist voices, past and present. When KET visited, we didn’t just find a bookshop. We found a place of resistance and refuge, built on words, memory, and care.

"We wanted to make LGBTQIA+ and feminist cultures visible — to explore them ourselves, and help others do the same.”

Librairie Vigna emerged from a desire to safeguard stories that were at risk of vanishing. As queer bookshops across France closed their doors, Marie-Hélène and Françoise turned to second-hand books — a format that aligns with their love of forgotten texts and unexpected gems.

"Used books invite curiosity,” they say. “We love offering a wide range — from queer theory to beach reads, feminist manifestos to vintage pulp."

Today, their shelves are overflowing with over 12,000 titles, including fiction, poetry, visual arts, and rare LGBTQIA+ magazines like Gai Pied, Lesbiaen Masques. While 90% of the collection is second-hand, the shop also features essential reissues and new works from bold, independent publishers like Hystériques & AssociéEs, Burn-Aoûten Les Prouesses.

But Vigna isn’t just a place to buy books — it’s a living cultural lab. They regularly host exhibitions, screenings, and literary events in partnership with queer festivals like In&Out, Zefestival, and grassroots collectives such as Les Culottées en Queer 06.

“We always wanted Vigna to be more than a store. A meeting place. A safe space. Somewhere ideas circulate — and people connect.”

Currently on view: an exhibition dedicated to Magnus Hirschfeld, the pioneering German sexologist and LGBTQIA+ rights advocate. Presented in collaboration with the Magnus-Hirschfeld-Gesellschaft in Berlin, the show runs until 20 September 2025 and explores themes of exile, resilience, and the early roots of gender-affirming care — topics that remain all too relevant today.

 © Raf Rose

Over the years, Vigna has also paid tribute to iconic figures like Monique Wittig en Guillaume Dustan, while giving space to new voices and emerging queer and feminist publishers shaping the culture of tomorrow.

"We’re not experts,” they insist. “We’re readers, researchers, gatherers — and we love it."

 © Raf Rose

In a world where queer culture is still vulnerable, Librairie Vigna reminds us how powerful a book — and a space — can be. It’s not just about what’s on the shelves. It’s about who you meet when you walk through the door, and what parts of yourself you rediscover between the pages.

Librairie Vigna
3 rue Delille, 06000 Nice, France
Open Tuesday to Saturday, 11am–7pm
English-language books available (mostly second-hand — always with love)
Instagram: @librairievigna