Catalan Book Week kicks off for 38th and ‘most necessary’ edition

The Catalan Book Week is back for its 38th edition this year to showcase the rich diversity on offer in literature in the Catalan language. 

The week is usually one of the most significant cultural events of the year, and even in pandemic times, people are still flocking to Moll de la Fusta dock, just by Barcelona port, to check out the latest releases, see what’s on offer, and even meet some authors. 

As with any event taking place during the health crisis, there are restrictions and measures in place to ensure safety, including the obligation to wear a mask at all times, and a capacity limit of visitors. Only 935 people may visit the book fair at any given time. 

In fact, the president of the organization that puts the fair on, Joan Carles Girbés, emphasized that this edition of the Book Week is the “most important in history,” and assured that attending is safe thanks to the measures implemented. 

The event comes at a time when sales of books have plummeted 25% since August last year, as detailed by the president of Editors.cat, Montse Ayats. 

380 events across 224 stalls

As part of the week’s celebrations, dozens of publishers highlight some of their best works, while also writers have come to meet the public, such as Rosina Ballester, Miquel Aguirre, and Irene Vallejo. 

As well as a long list of activities and events planned such as readings, poetry, and conversations and debates with industry professionals. Two stages are mounted in the fair, while all in all, 380 will take place across the 224 stalls. In fact, despite the coronavirus restrictions, the number of stalls present this year is an increase on 2019’s edition, which saw 219. 

There’s plenty of activities for kids too, such as animation workshops, storytelling, and of course a wide range of books for youngsters to enjoy. 

The Catalan Book Week is taking place at Moll de la Fusta, just between Passeig de Colom and the Barcelona port, every day until Sunday, September 13th.