Discover Catalonia's thriving literature scene at Catalan Book Week

Time to get lost in a new book? Want to discover local literature? Catalan Book Week, or la Setmana del llibre en català, is the place to be.

The 40^th edition of the event, which will take place at Barcelona's Moll de la Fusta seafront area until September 18, will be bigger than ever, with 259 exhibitors, 206 publishing houses, 200,000 books, and 300 activities.

There will also be some 700 guests, including writers, illustrators, booksellers, as well as prominent cultural figures.

A wide variety of both morning and evening themed activities have been scheduled for Catalan Book Week, from tackling questions relating to rural life with celebrity moviemaker Carla Simon, who directed Berlinale-winner 'Alcarràs', to science-focused talks with researchers Joan Anton Català and Pere Renom.

Catalan Book Week president Joan Carles Girbés said they hoped to attract over 50,000 people this year, more than last, with their "more diverse" and "more multidisciplinary program than ever before."

"Commitment" to Catalan language

Event organizers reaffirmed their "commitment" to the Catalan language, with Girbés describing the book fair as a platform for publishing houses from Catalonia, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, and Andorra. 

A manifesto expressing "worry" for the language, especially in schools – the 25% Spanish language quota could still put the immersion system at risk depending on how the Constitutional Court rules on the matter – will also be read at the event. 

Catalan language books, in figures

The Catalan language book sector had a €240 million turnover last year, of which just under half can be attributed to textbooks, 4% more than in 2020 – excluding textbooks, the sector grew 8% year-on-year. 

The number of books that were edited in the language also grew 8% in 2021 compared to the year prior, nearing the 11,000 that were edited in 2019 before the pandemic hit.