Montsant Fonts: "The Gaudí Bookstore was heavily controlled by the Franco regime and was subject to raids."

The Gaudí Bookstore in Reus is celebrating its 60th anniversary. If you go inside, you'll find a collection of photos among the books that evoke the establishment's early years, with Isidre Fonts at the helm and controlled by Franco's police. Now his daughters are in charge, and the bookstore industry has changed dramatically. We spoke with Montsant Fonts.

How did the Gaudí Bookstore come to be?

— In 1962, Edicions 62 was founded with the aim of offering both books by Catalan authors and translations. Edigsa was also born, the record label that brought Catalan authors from the Nova Cançó (New Song). It wasn't that existing bookstores didn't want to carry these books and records, but that they didn't display them in their windows, even at first glance. There was a need to create bookstores that would display this material and be highly visible. A series of shareholders created a network of bookstores in various towns. There was one in the capital, Barcelona, but also local ones, such as in Reus. The only remaining heirs of that era are the Librería Voltes in Girona and the Gaudí. Others that were created did not survive.

Because?

— A lot of effort was put into finding a location, adapting it, stocking it with materials, and finding someone to run the bookstore. In this case, it was my father, Isidre Fonts Masdeu, who was from Selva del Camp but had spent time in Barcelona and was closely linked to anti-Franco and Catalan movements. This setup had just been completed, and the difficult part was maintaining it. This was also our case. It was very demanding. My father was known to the Francoist police, and it was a bookstore closely controlled by the regime.

What was that control like?

— Well, to the point where a police officer would stand at one end of the street and another at the other, and when they saw you carrying a book under your arm, they'd stop you and ask what you'd bought, who was in the bookstore... If you were really sure, you'd come back another day, but more than one person must have thought the police officer had given them a hard time. Aside from the searches, this didn't make it easy for people to come here to shop. It was very costly, and a second capital investment was made, but it wasn't enough. Between 1971 and 1972, my father and mother took over all the debts and became owners of the bookstore.

It's a new stage.

— It's a second phase, but also a continuation because they were running the bookstore from day one. They already knew each other. My mother was from Tarragona and already came from the world of books. They did bookbinding at home, and she was a librarian by trade. She had a lot of experience. And together they made it through.

How is the transition to the second generation made?

— When I was 18 or 19, I started working at the bookstore. My parents and I were there for many years, and later my sister joined. Then my father retired, and my mother and the two daughters took over, and now it's just the two of us.

The world of bookstores has changed in recent decades. How have phenomena like the e-book market affected them?

— At first, they said bookstores would even sell e-book devices, but in the end, nothing happened. It seemed like e-books had to take over everything, but now some people use e-books, and others combine them. And finally, there are those who only want paper books. It all coexists. There's a niche for everyone.

Does selling books online affect you?

— The market has changed, and you have to live with online sales, e-books, secondhand books... You get by. We also have a website, we respond to customers via WhatsApp, Instagram... Everyone can order wherever they feel most comfortable.

What type of clientele comes to the Gaudí Bookstore?

— We have a lot of children's and young adult books, and we get a lot of family audiences.

Do you do book presentations?

— No presentations, but we do have a book club. Presentations could be made, but in Reus there's a strong tradition of making presentations to organizations. There's a very strong network of associations. What we do do is go out and about selling books at these presentations. Wherever they ask us.

What is the current work of a bookseller like?

— The "I really like reading and I'll have a bookstore" thing doesn't work. You have to read at home because in a bookstore, it eats up your time.

And advise clients.

— You have to read, but you have to do it at home, look at the reviews... Everyone likes what they like, and you have to get the recommendations right. There's a bit of everything. There's someone who already knows what they want and is quick to do it, someone who shuffles and shuffles and finds something, and someone who prefers you to give them advice.

What is your relationship like with the city's authors?

— It's always been good. We've now participated in the Epílogo Fair, which is the fourth year it's been held. And we're in the local authors section. We bring local authors and local translators to the fair.

And what is the future of the Gaudí Bookstore?

— This, time will tell.

Is the third generation ready?

— It's not quite ready yet, but there's still time. This is open.