Guadalajara Book Fair closes with strong reception for Catalan culture

After nine days of literature and culture, the 39th edition of the prestigious Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) came to an end on Sunday.

This year, with Barcelona as the guest city, the fair attracted a record 953,112 visitors, 5% more than in 2024.

The city council described Barcelona's tenure as guest city as a "major success," calling it the most significant international promotion of Catalan culture ever undertaken by the city.

"We are very happy with how the fair has gone. We have seen Barcelona everywhere, all the events were full, and there was a lot of interest," said Anna Guitart, commissioner of the Barcelona delegation.

She believes this edition could be "a seed" for continuing to strengthen ties between the two cities in the coming years.

"We will see the effects in the future, even when Barcelona is no longer the guest city," she added.

The Barcelona pavilion, inspired by the city's famous covered squares and located at the main entrance of the fairground, covered over 1,000 square meters and included an auditorium and a large library with 10,000 books linked to the city, of which 5,300 were sold.

One of the main attractions was the visit of Catalan legend Joan Manuel Serrat. "Walking with him in Guadalajara was complicated. He became highly sought after once we announced he would be our ambassador," Guitart explained.

The pavilion also hosted a tribute to Catalan writer Montserrat Roig, which was a resounding success. "The room was full, and when the event ended, everyone rushed to buy her books," the commissioner said.

During the nine days, the pavilion welcomed visits from many officials, including Mayor Jaume Collboni, who inaugurated the space, as well as the Catalan president Salvador Illa and Spanish Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun.

The event also featured musical performances by Catalan acts such as Love of Lesbian, Rigoberta Bandini, and Mushkaa.

Interest in Catalan language and culture

One of the busiest areas of the Barcelona pavilion was the library, where hundreds of visitors browsed books every day.

Melissa Navarro, responsible for operations, said it had been a huge success.

"Many visitors knew exactly what they were looking for, but many others, often young people, came just curious to see what they could discover," she said.

There was also strong interest in Catalan culture. "We sold originals, translations, and a lot of material for learning the language," she added.