How did I experience the Guadalajara Book Fair?

BarcelonaMore than sixty Catalan authors They have traveled to Mexico to represent Barcelona at the 39th International Book Fair (FIL) From Guadalajara, where the city is the guest of honor. Ten of the participants summarize their journey across the Atlantic in their own words.

"Barcelona's participation in the FIL has been a major breakthrough for Catalan literature, for the city, and for our culture: we've made excellent use of this opportunity we had up our sleeve. Besides the events, which were very well organized and went wonderfully, I'd highlight the meeting with students at a high school, which was right here in my own school. Between 150 and 200 students in a classroom were asking me questions about the novels of mine they'd read. And there weren't just one or two, but... six! female writers."

I submitted the translation on the last day. of Diagonal Manhattan, Published by Destino México. There were a lot of people and a great deal of media interest: I ended up speaking with eight major Mexican media outlets. All these positive experiences give meaning to the work we do."

"From Soldiers of Salamis I am fortunate to have many readers in Mexico. I have traveled a lot, and this is not so common: when Eduardo Mendoza was awarded the Cervantes Prize in 2016, Javier Rodríguez Marcos wrote an article in which he asked «Who is Mendoza?"Because it wasn't well enough known. Contrary to what they say, there's a lot of isolation between Spain and Latin America.

This is the second time I've traveled to the country this year." I was on tour in July to present God's madman at the end of the world (Penguin Random House, 2025), and now I've visited the book fair, which, along with those in Buenos Aires and Bogotá, are the most important in Latin America; there's nothing comparable in our country. It was important for me to return because last year, the day before I was supposed to fly, my mother died, and I had to cancel the trip at the last minute.

In Mexico, you find veneration for writers and for culture. You fill auditoriums. People listen to you with enthusiasm. Cameras follow you everywhere you go. This year has been very sweet for me: God's madman at the end of the world It has been among the bestsellers in countries like France, Italy, and Portugal, as well as in Spain. In Mexico alone, I've sold 25,000 copies. On Sant Jordi's Day, I was number one: just two days earlier, Pope Francis, the book's protagonist, had died. Someone said it was a marketing campaign unlike anything ever seen before, and another maliciously claimed that the Pope had died because he had read me.

"A fair is an artifact that relates to culture in diverse, even antagonistic, ways. On one hand there are the cultural policies that inscribe, that is, the view of the political scaffoldingIn this case, there's the political program, set by Collboni's team; on the other hand, there's the sectoral-cultural perspective, that of the artistic direction, in this case by Anna Guitart, who has done an exhaustive, intelligent, and dignified job—an impossible balance—with unparalleled human touch.

Despite what the professional haters on social media say, who think a cultural program is a lottery where every number has to be included, the program was very comprehensive, but I missed almost all of it, since I had to do the setup and opening ofa huge exhibition (The women will come: 150 years of struggles in the streets of Barcelona), 8 interviews, 2 lectures (one with the poet Susanna Rafart and another with Joselo, from the group Café Tacuba, and the poet and essayist Gabriel Venturaand a podcast.

The exhibition has been a great learning experience. We worked with a fantastic team—each with a different temperament—for as many hours as a day can offer. The dialogue with Rafart sparked a lot of interest; we went from metaphors to protocols: if it was a matter of dancing between the two concepts, we did it. The other talk was given in front of 300 teenage fans of the musician who was with us, and a few veterans.

I've been to all three book fairs (Frankfurt, Buenos Aires, and Mexico), and you feel a bit like filler at a meal where the big names monopolize all the attention, especially at more popular fairs like this one, dedicated more to readers than to the industry. This doesn't change my approach or my message. I look at everything like a cultural ethnographer, and I find it amusing. I've always thought that success (the big kind) is a sad, artificial effect that unintentionally dehumanizes its protagonist.

"The first time you go to the FIL you have the feeling of experiencing a Sant Jordi condensed into a gigantic pavilion. Even though this was my second visit, it impressed me again." This time he wasn't there as a writer, but as a scientistAnd I experienced the enthusiasm of a devoted audience that easily filled 500-seat rooms and then wouldn't let you leave without spending half an hour in Q&A and signing books. For a few moments, they made me feel like a rock star, like Santi Balmes, with whom I shared a table, who was always surrounded by a cloud of fans. I'd better not get used to it.

The intensity of the FIL (Guadalajara International Book Fair) is overwhelming, which is why authors seek oases where they can disconnect for a while. One of the most coveted is the Authors' RoomGuarded by security personnel who only allow entry to those with proper identification. There are comfortable sofas, free coffee and cookies, and, above all, silence. As a veteran, I shared one of the best-kept secrets with my colleagues in the delegation: if you ask politely, the woman who serves soft drinks will give you a small glass of tequila she keeps hidden under the counter. Some poets have become particularly fond of it.

"Going to Guadalajara to present the Spanish translation of Fervor It was, in itself, something strange to me, because defend the novel Reading it in another language made me feel like it wasn't my own work. That feeling reached an unexpected peak the day a journalist interviewed me and asked me about a book I hadn't written. It's understandable that this happened, because in Guadalajara you feel like you're experiencing a Sant Jordi festival multiplied by four.

Something that has surprised me is that readers treat authors as if they were superstars. When I've signed copies of Fervor It felt like a famous singer dedicating his latest album. Even the journalists were excited: one asked to take a picture with me during the interview, as if I were Britney Spears. For me, coming from Barcelona, ​​where literature is experienced in a more restrained way, it has been an important experience."

"I have been to Mexico several times to participate in poetry festivals: in the capital, in Puebla, in Monterrey... As I had already made some friends, in Guadalajara we organized some recitals on the sidelines of the fair, which I attended to present a bilingual anthology published in Ecuador, Hinting at the unknown. What I liked about the FIL was that all literary genres were represented, and also projects like Echoes of the FILwhere they take you to a high school to talk to the students. I was assigned to a school in a rural area, near the mountains. They treated me like royalty, which was much appreciated!

Going to the FIL (International Book Fair) has been a good opportunity to explain who we are and to say that Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia. To talk about the state of the language, and how diglossia is consuming us. I have the feeling that we all wanted to be educational and ended up working as cultural ambassadors. It's very convenient, considering how things are.

"I arrived in Guadalajara after a few days of promoting the Spanish translations of my novels in Mexico City. I'm very happy with the work of the editors at Consonni, because thanks to them I was able to give presentations and many interviews. At the book fair, I saw the effects of the good press campaign before arriving in the capital. ~BK_S programming was a bit of a mess. I've been very happy to explain, along with other authors, how we've changed the narrative of motherhood, with the aim of showing its complexities and moving beyond ideas like purity and selflessness." I really enjoyed being able to participate in the act of pouring gasoline, metaphorically speaking, because of Montserrat Roig's work It exploded everywhere, both at the tribute and during the podcast recording. Girl, wake up!

When I went to a high school in a town near Guadalajara to talk about my books, I met 300 students who had done a very thorough and thoughtful reading. It's always very rewarding to connect with young people. And I was happy to be able to reunite with the group of Catalan journalists and authors we used to meet at the book fair. It made me very happy, truly!

"At home we've had a busy autumn: with Meritxell Martí, my professional partner and also my girlfriend, we first traveled to New York to present the American version ofA scary dinnerThen we went to a children's literature festival in Iceland—where we received the award for best children's book last year—and finally, Txell made a tour through the south of France and I one through the Netherlands.

The experience in Mexico has been very positive. If the FIL (International Book Fair) had invited Barcelona 10 years ago, children's and young adult literature would have been absent from the program. Now, fortunately, it has been different. Sales and translations of many authors have grown and put us on the map. We must also acknowledge the sensitivity of Anna Guitart, who has been working tirelessly for years to raise the profile of children's and young adult literature.

One of the most touching anecdotes that has happened to me is that a family from Mexico City—the parents and their three children—came to see me with an empty suitcase that they wanted to fill with our books. I spent a whole hour writing dedications.

"Going to the Guadalajara Book Fair has had a profound impact on me, and I already miss it. In just four days, the trip has transformed me. Spending so much time so far from home with writers and editors I knew from Barcelona allows you to build a different kind of relationship. First, I shared a roundtable discussion on motherhood with Gemma Ruiz and Bego. It was wonderful to see that we have so many things in common and so many shared concerns. On the last afternoon, I participated in a session on speculative fiction with only Latin American authors. The perspectives of the audience and the other authors enriched and transformed the themes of..." MamalíaThe search for identity, the objectification of female bodies, the commodification of reproduction...

The enthusiasm of the Mexican public is another element I would highlight. Not only are there many people, but the interest in my work is enormous and sincere. The day I was leaving, I decided I couldn't go without going to the city center and strolling around for a while and practicing my other great passion: photography. I spent two hours looking at the streets and the people with my camera. I'll never forget them."

"A quick summary of the Guadalajara book fair is that there are so many activities that you end up exhausted. I participated in a round table discussion on translation And also at the seminar organized by the Ramon Llull Institute and the Mexican Association of Literary Translators (AMETLI): the presentations were interesting, engaging, and very professional. I was surprised by the Mexican interest in the Catalan experience. They asked us, for example, how we experience diglossia and bilingualism and what books are translated in Catalonia.

AMETLI and Llull have forged strong connections these past few days. At the end of the conference, there was a relaxed and enjoyable dinner, one of those things that happens outside the fair but from which interesting projects can emerge.