Barcelona has leisure, innovation, art, people with a lot to tell and also has festivities to enjoy. One of them is the Book and Rose Festival.
Cristina Baigorri has gone out to the street to record, live, this new chapter of the podcast Salir por Barcelona. The chosen location was the Mas Bernat bookstore (@Libreria+Bernat) located on Avda Diagonal at the corner of Plaza Francesc Macià, just a few meters from the store (c/ Buenos Aires 6, Barcelona).
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Fernando Pelayo is the bookseller and has told him, among other things, the importance of a day like this for the promotion of reading as well as for the consolidation of a sector that since the pandemic seems stronger than ever. Also the magic that is generated in the streets and how, even the busiest citizen, reserves a few minutes to buy one or more books that he will then give to someone around him.
Because this is what the day is all about; acquiring new books to give as gifts and, thus, receiving one or more books that will surely bring new experiences and reading tastes. And as the day recalls the legend of the knight’s victory over the dragon to save the princess, red roses are also given as a sign of affection and love.
The preparation of a day like this in a bookstore starts already in January, when you start to know which titles and authors will come to your signing stand. Cristina Baigorri has been talking to some of them.
Anatxu Zabalbeascoa (@anatxuz), journalist for El País, historian and author of “Más gente que cuenta”, told her the secret of the 25 characters to whom she dedicates her book to describe today’s world and her childhood memories of other days.
Javier Gomá (@JavierGomaL), thinker, essayist and author of “Universal Concreto”, who on his first day of this festivity has seen how the whole city shares a day of joy and love for culture by buying books and giving roses. Something, he says, that should be the subject of study and analysis.
Sergio Vila-Sanjuán (@svilasanjuan), journalist, director of the cultural supplement of La Vanguardia (@culturaslv), novelist and playwright, has highlighted the international projection of the day, the importance for the sector and culture as well as making 4 recommendations of the most suggestive books.
Clara Nubiola (@claranubiola), graphic designer and author of “Pasea y Ojea” told us how her illustrated work on Barcelona, although it could be applied to other cities, tries to identify the main urban problems and discomforts behind the usual slogans.
Albert Molins, author of “Eating without asking permission” argues that it is time to overcome guilt at the moment of eating; a social act that is intertwined with life, death, sex, the environment and our children.
Cristina really enjoyed one of the festivities celebrated in spring in Barcelona. Now it’s time for you to listen to this new chapter dedicated to books, roses and the love of culture.
