Get in touch with local literature at the Catalan Book Week

Barcelona hosts the 39th edition of the Catalan Book Week - la Setmana del Llibre in Catalan - from September 10-19, allowing literary fans and locals to get to know literature from Catalonia a little better.

The cultural event is held in Moll de la Fusta with a packed programme featuring 250 activities and 227 exhibitions, in addition to 270 new publications.

Activities include presentations and roundtables aimed at both adult and family audiences, book signings from authors, and various literary itineraries, nine of which taking place outside the Catalan capital thanks to the collaboration with Òmnium Cultural, a Barcelona-based civic entity. 

Two international authors, Katharina Volckmer, from Penguin Random House, and Douglas Stuart, from the CCCB, are also taking part in the fair this year, while Regina Giménez is 2021’s collaborating artist. 

As for the exhibitors, there are 227 distributed in 69 modules, including 185 publishing labels, 19 bookstores, 1 distributor, 9 universities and 12 institutions.

At the inaugural event, writer, poet and cultural activist Biel Mesquida received the 25th Trajectory Prize, while tributes were paid to Gemma Romanyà (Capellades, 1945 - 2018), and the journalist Xavier Graset was awarded the 2021 Diffusion Prize.

Second pandemic-affected edition

This year, while still going on amid the pandemic, the fair has been able to put on a much larger edition compared to 2020. 

The Catalan Book Week event lasts twice the amount of days compared to last year, and this edition has also seen the fair recover its usual three stages where events are held. Two of these stages are for events aimed at adults, and one is for family-friendly events.

The 2021 Catalan Book Week also has some new features this year, a space to read and rest, as well as a bar for those seeking refreshments. 

Making Catalan literature travel

Furthermore, the Institut Ramon Llull, an institution that promotes Catalan culture abroad, is also hosting the International Mission of Publishers and Agents, with the aim of helping Catalan literature spread to other countries. 

Publishers and agents come from abroad to participate in conferences at the ‘Making Catalan Literature Travel for International Publishers and Agents’ programme, fostering knowledge and exchanging with people from all over the world. This year, there will be 15 international editors.