Ten reasons not to miss Catalan Book Week

BarcelonaYear after year the Catalan Book Week It continues to grow: each edition—this year's will mark its 43rd—increases visitors and surpasses sales from the previous one. With last year's change of location, from the Muelle de la Madera to Passeig Lluís Companys, the Week broke the bad omens (it left the old port of Barcelona and was delayed a few weeks due to the America's Cup) and managed to break its own record once again: it almost doubled its attendance, going from 0,000 to 20% more than in 2023, which meant going from 600,000 to 720,000 euros.

The Week, which takes place from September 19 to 28, is not only a "literary festival," but also a space for "cultural convergence," says Ilya Pérdigo, president of editores.cat. "It's an event whose objective is the cohesion, plurality, and transversality of Catalan culture," he adds. The great Catalan book festival is expanding this 2025, both in terms of exhibitors and spaces: the 8,900 m² venue will feature 94 small houses, representing 312 exhibitors, and several stages, with the aim of also strengthening the commitment to children's and young adult books. To demonstrate "the richness of the country's publishing ecosystem," comments Cristina Domènech, director of the Week, "265 publishing houses from Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, the Valencian Community, Andorra, and Northern Catalonia will be present," in addition to the presence of 21 institutions and 25 bookstores.

One of the aims of this Week is to focus on young people. For this reason, two thematic evenings will be dedicated to them. The first will begin with the presentation of four kilometer-zero comics, including Bad smell, of Nadia Hafid (Windows); Is she a witch?, by Raquel Gu (Garbuix), and Mrs. Marga and the vampires, of Javier Pérez Andújar and Raquel Gu (Ventanas). Later, there will be a roundtable discussion on three new developments related to mental health and a "book battle" featuring authors such as Gerard Guix, Paula Vidal, Cesc Cornet, and Arturo Padilla.

On Saturday the 27th, Maite Carranza and Care Santos will visit the Week, and the youth afternoon will be dedicated to contemporary topics such as love and relationships, with romance novel authors such as Judit Espígol, Laia López, and Cristian Olivé. There will also be a "love clinic" with the members of Can Putades, and the afternoon will close out with Mireia Giró. with his brother and 2024 Difusió Award winner, journalist Marc Giró.

The latest Honorary Award for Catalan Literature, the philosopher and translator Pere Lluís Font, will kick off La Setmana with a speech full of wisdom, in which two of the new voices of Catalan poetry, Raquel Santanera and Jaume Coll Mariné, will also participate. Two days later, Oriol Sauleda and Raquel Santanera will offer a recital with the Essential poems by Juan de la Cruz that Luis has recently adapted into Catalan for the publishing house Fragmenta (September 22, 7:45 p.m., stage 2).

The Week's organizers emphasize that this year there is "a clear commitment to the conversation format" through the inauguration of a new space. Around thirty very diverse topics have been scheduled. Montse Barderi and Emma Vilarasau will share with Agnès Marquès the themes ofThe sea, which shines and laughs, Barderi's latest novel: identity, maturity, and culture as a form of resistance (September 20, 11:45 a.m.). Silvia Soler and Toni Cruanyes will discuss collective and family history with Anna Guitart (September 20, 6:30 p.m.). Núria Bendicho and Marina Porras will talk about how the American South is reflected in the works of William Faulkner and Carson McCullers (September 23, 5:30 p.m.). Perejaume, Raül Garrigasait and Jordi Cornudella will discuss art as a form of divination, as a trace of meaning and as an invocation of what cannot be said (September 23, 7 p.m.).

On all fours has been one of this summer's most talked-about novels. Angle's editor, Rosa Rey, who has published Bel Olid's translation of the book, and literary critic Marina Espasa will break down Miranda July's latest narrative adventure, starring a 45-year-old "semi-famous" artist who decides to travel from Los Angeles to New York by car, all alone, and settles into a motel, where she refurbishes one of the rooms to welcome a man for whom she feels an animal fascination. "Women who have chosen other sexual options that have circulated outside of dominant heterosexuality and older people also have a lot to say about sex –Espada says–. Bravo to Miranda July, because turning an almost taboo subject into a dish at the center of the table is more mainstream "It is not within everyone's reach."

With a new stage and a clear commitment to responding to the needs of family audiences, 66 activities have been scheduled: 6 small-format shows, 17 storytelling sessions, 15 illustrated stories and 7 workshops, as well as proposals starring authors and illustrators as well-known as Teresa Duran, Òscar Dalmau, Jaume Copons or Liliana Fortuny, among others. One of the most anticipated new children's books this September is Ona, the pop star (Montena), a story that inspired the song of the same name by El Pot Petit. The band members will present this tale about a starfish who can't find the other musicians before a concert (September 24, 6:30 p.m., family stage).

La Semana has wanted to recognize the career of the prolific Andreu Martín (Barcelona, ​​​​1949) as a sign of "tribute to a solid and courageous career, which has made crime a way of understanding the world, and of narrating it with lucidity, criticism and passion." Since his debut in 1979 with Learn and be silent (Plaza & Janés), Spanish translation of Mute and in the cage, which had been directed by Manuel de Pedrolo a few months earlier, Martín has published more than a hundred books. He predominantly writes detective novels, but has also dabbled in historical fiction, children's and young adult literature—with Jaume Ribera, he created Detective Flanagan, the protagonist of thirteen novels—and memoirs. "There isn't a year that goes by that I don't publish a book—"admitted a few days ago in an interview at his home–. If you want to make a living from writing and you haven't done any best-seller"You should know one thing: you'll have to work hard." The writer will collect the Lifetime Achievement Award with a speech in which he will review his work.

With the ambitious and addictive The Fox's Ford (Anymore), Anna Starobinets has confirmed that she is one of the biggest names in contemporary Russian fantasy literature. The author, who has been living in Barcelona for a few months, will present her latest novel alongside Ricard Ruiz Garzón, director of Festival 42 who also published a book this year, Wollstonecraft (Never Again), in which she combines history and imagination through an approach to the philosopher, writer and feminist pioneer Mary Wollstonecraft.

In the framework of the year dedicated to Josep Maria Llompart, words from the Mallorcan author andAntonia Vicens on Catalan culture and our territory will inspire the improvised interventions of The Ludwig Band and Glosa Càustica, which "will develop virtuosity and irreverence in a melodic duel that will fuse tradition and innovation," in the words of the organizers. The poet Josep Pedrals He will act as master of ceremonies and will introduce the audience to the legacy of the two writers, orchestrate the musical interventions and lead the audience voting, which in the end will have to choose which of the two performances they thought was the best.

This year there are many anniversaries in the publishing industry that deserve the attention of visitors to La Semana. The centenary of the iconic Alibri bookstore, which was founded in 1925 under the name Herder and is located at number 26 Balmes Street (September 22, 7:30 p.m., Stage 1). The 35th anniversary of Central Café, a reference in poetry publishing that has just presented a new collection, The banquet, with titles by Eliot Weinberger and Christian Bobin (September 24, 1:15 p.m., Conversations); and the 40th anniversary of Bromera, with a conversation between members of the Els Bookhunters podcast and the president of the Catalan Language Writers Association, Sebastià Portell, editorial director Iván Barreto, and Bromera's deputy director, Sandra Capsir (September 27, 11:15 a.m., Stage 1). Another unique celebration will be Espacios Escritos, which has been promoting the country's literary memory through numerous activities throughout the country for the past two decades. Gemma Humet will be present at La Semana (September 19, 7:45 p.m., Stage 2).

The Badalona native Julian de Jodar has chosen the Mallorcan publishing house Ensiola to publish The rumor of the confines, which addresses themes such as identity, memory, and a committed perspective on the world. He will present it with Júlia Ojeda (September 28, 10:30 a.m., Stage 2) in the first of five events entitled Balearic Morning. This small island marathon also highlights the presence of Carme Riera, who will visit La Semana on the occasion of the reissue of I leave you, love, the sea as a pledge, the book with which he debuted fifty years ago, and the publication of a new volume, Thank you, in which she addresses readers, reviewing the literary journey that has kept her at the forefront of Catalan literature for half a century. Participating, in addition to the author, will be journalist and novelist Gemma Ventura and actress Joana Vilapuig, who will read selected excerpts from the books (September 28, 1:15 p.m., Stage 2).