books

The initiative ‘You’re 6 years old, pick a book’ increased to over 35k young participants

Scores of establishments around the Catalan capital open their doors to talks, events, concerts, and more

The 2007 Frankfurt Book Fair, a “turning point” for Catalan literature to go international, according to Ramon Llull institute

Bookshop association expects profitable year on Catalonia’s day of books and roses after good business at the weekend

Today, Catalans celebrate Sant Jordi, one of the most cherished and romantic days of the year

Isabel Coixet’s award-winning ‘The Bookshop’ will make its international debut at event

‘The Bookshop’ and ‘Estiu 1993’ have been awarded with a total of six prizes, including best film and best director  

Candidates for a 2018 Gaudí prize gather with the movie sector’s annual ceremony fast approaching

‘The Bookshop’ and ‘Estiu 1993’ have both been nominated for best film

The theater will open on October 19 to offer artists the opportunity to do the performances they’ve “always wanted to do”

The Catalan journalist Andreu Caralt presents the book “3,669 biberons” (3,669 baby bottles), that explains the story of the “Survivors of the Baby Bottle Regiment of ’41”, the youngest recruits in Catalonia during the Spanish Civil War

Catalonia invests a half million euros in promoting children's reading

The Spanish Ministry for Education has requested a “detailed report” on the content of the textbooks used in Catalonia. The petition, processed as a matter of urgency, aims to analyze whether there is “partisan indoctrination” in the Social Studies textbooks used in the 5th and 6th grades of primary school, said the association who complained about it, “Action for the Secondary Education Improvement” (AMES). AMES compared textbooks from seven different publishers used in Catalan schools and concluded that the books emphasize the differences between Catalan and Spanish citizens and minimize their common points. The Secretary of Education Policies in the Catalan Government, Antoni Llobet, expressed the “government's bewilderment” of his government at this unprecedented initiative. Publishers defended their professionalism and described the attacks as “biased and false”.

Every year on 23rd April, the UNESCO World Book Day, Catalans celebrate their patron saint, Sant Jordi's Day (Saint George). It is one of the Catalans’ most cherished national days, when people give books and red roses to friends and loved ones in celebration of love and literature. Traditionally men used to give a red rose to women and women gave men books in return. But the tradition has evolved and nowadays men and women both give and receive books and roses to each other as well as to friends and even co-workers. This year’s Sant Jordi's Day was an especially sunny day in Catalonia. The streets of Barcelona and all around the country were flooded with books and flower stands, where people lined up to buy books and roses or just stroll around enjoying the magic moment. Like every year hundreds of authors from Catalonia but also from all around the world came to the Catalan capital to sign their books and to join the festive atmosphere. In addition, emblematic buildings such as Gaudi’s Casa Batlló on the famous Passeig de Gracia was decorated with red roses and encouraged visitors to learn about the legend of Sant Jordi.

London’s Borough Market hosted the celebration of Sant Jordi’s Day in the British capital. Like all over Catalonia, stalls selling books and roses colored one of the most iconic spots in the city, complete with Catalan food tasting, storytelling, traditional human towers (Castellers) and a mix of both Catalan and English folklore. The Delegation of the Catalan Government to the UK and Ireland, together with the Catalan community in the UK, the Tourism Office, and Institut Ramon Llull London, which promotes Catalan culture and literature, also took part in the celebrations and had their own stalls at the market.