Hi and welcome đđœ
Paris, Puces. celebrates the strange, new, true & beautiful, in Paris and at the Puces de Saint-Ouen Paris flea market. (Puces translates to âfleasâ in French and is shorthand for flea market.) Think of it as a mix of Paris insidersâ journal, cultural diary and flea market field guide â with a spirit of discovery at its heart.
The MarchĂ© aux Puces de Saint-Ouen Paris flea market is the most epic junk, design, collectibles and antiques market in the world, located just over the other side of the ring road to the north of Paris. I wrote a book about it, The Paris Flea Market (2024, Prestel), described by the New York Times as âa celebration of the culture, history and oddball treasures of the marketâ.
Iâm Kate
Iâm a writer, editor and occasional entrepreneur, dedicated to exploring the intersections where self-expression collides with culture, history and community. Since moving from Melbourne to Paris, Iâve been seeking out and championing the people and places that give the city its special flavour â mapping libertĂ©, Ă©galitĂ©, fraternitĂ© in its many modern guises.
âLong live the strange, new, true and beautiful!â is the anthem that runs through my life here in Paris, my books, everything I publish here on Substack and on Instagram.
Books
My books, Makers Paris (Prestel, 2020) and Makers Paris 2 (Ofr. Ăditions, 2022) grew out of more than a decade running the slow-travel pioneer Gogo City Guides (2005-2015). Both these books celebrate the Paris of artists and of ideas, the Paris of lovers and of families, the Paris of freedom. The Paris we love is an open place, where thereâs room for discussion, for projects, for dreams, and especially room for the heart! These are the engines of a city.
Makers Paris #2
The follow-up to Makers Paris (2020, Prestel), Makers Paris 2 is a new homage to Paris and the community of people who bring the city to life, in a bilingual edition published by Ofr. Editions here in Paris, and with an illustrated preface by Lou Doillon
My latest, The Paris Flea Market (Prestel, 2024), is another stop on this journey of endless connections, described by the New York Times as âa celebration of the culture, history and oddball treasures of the marketâ.
The Paris Flea Market
Described by the New York Times as âa celebration of the culture, history and oddball treasures of the marketâ. Read the full profile here.
Why Subscribeâ
As a Free subscriber, you will receive the longstanding and much-loved Life in Paris dispatch every week â along with other occasional updates. Youâll be able to leave comments on posts, ask questions and engage with fellow Paris and Puces lovers around the world.
Becoming a Paid subscriber gives you access to an ever-growing trove of major intel from the Puces de Saint-Ouen Paris flea market. In-depth themed guides explain how to navigate, what to look for, how to find it, where to eat, who to know. Plus occasional essays and behind-the-scenes stories and interviews.
As a bonus, Paid subscribers get exclusive access to the private Chat, where you can ask anything â flea market strategy, rare finds, negotiating with vendors, or insider Paris tips that only locals know.
Kate van den Boogert âđœ
