“It is the most important fair for local literary authors in Catalonia.” This is how forceful the Councilor for Culture of Sabadell, Carles de la Rosa, is when presenting the II Setmana del Llibre de Sabadell, which starts this Saturday at the Casal Pere Quart in the city and will last until November 28 . It will be an ambitious and extended week, since, in fact, there are 10 days dedicated to literature, journalism and also music, in which around sixty authors – most of them local and some guest stars such as Carlota Gurt or Care Santos – They will present and sign their works.
In these days all types of genres, styles and themes will coexist, both from the commercial circuit and self-published works. The writer and coordinator of Sabadell Capital of Catalan Culture 2024, Montse Barderi, points out that “this second edition was born because we wanted to highlight that in Sabadell and surrounding areas we have 200 registered writers – and more may still emerge – who have come forward. register in an email enabled for the occasion (capitalculturacatalana@ajsabadell.cat)”. Barderi is confident that the list of authors will grow with the celebration of cultural capital next year.
The program begins at 11 in the morning with one of the literary revelations of the Fucking New York season. History of my limits, by the journalist Laura Calçada (1988). The daughter of Miquel Calçada from Sabadell – closely linked to the city because she worked on municipal radio – presents an autobiography full of drugs and sex in her self-destructive youth, set in New York. The day continues at 12 with the presentation of Microrelats Icasbd from the Sabadell Bar Association, a compilation of short literary texts to promote writing in Catalan in the legal world.
The weekend’s activities will close with the round table Tradition and innovation in local journalism, on Sunday at 12 noon in the same building. It will have the participation of several journalists from the city: Laura Rosel – who worked at Ràdio Sabadell-; Jordi de Arriba, director of iSabadell; Joan Muñoz, from Television Sabadell; Aleix Pujadas, from Diari de Sabadell, and Mireia Sans, from Ràdio Sabadell. Barderi explains that he has opted for a debate on journalism because “this week is a tribute to letters, ideas and thought. Journalism and literature are linked”.
This year, the same structure is always followed with a different theme (history, nature, stories and micro-stories, medicine…) on each occasion: at six and quarter; presentation of an author, at seven; debate between several local writers and the afternoon closes with a musical performance, at eight o’clock. Everything is free, but with limited capacity. Local authors such as Jordi Solé -Prudenci Bertrana award with the presentation of The year I loved Ava Gardner (on the 27th); the journalist of La Vanguardia Blai Felip (on the 22nd) with his book of stories Don’t be under any illusions, dedicated to the geminada; the local leader of the communes, Joan Mena (day 23), with No parlaràs mai un bon Catalan; the children’s author Anna Fité (Petals, magic and super show) or Francesca Rodríguez (both, on the 25th), with Secrets, a suspense novel starring a teenage girl. There will also be space for other Catalan talents such as Carlota Gurt (Monday 20) with Biografia del foc, Care Santos (El boig dels ocells, Tuesday 21) or the brand new winner of the Néstor Luján 2023 prize, Sònia Casas, with the novel Retorn at the origins, the last day, November 28.
Every afternoon, the festival of letters closes with a musical performance with artists such as Marc Vilajuana who will offer a Gregorian chant concert, the prestigious Japanese pianist Yukiko Akagi will perform Chopin or Anaís Falcó (violin, voice, percussion and improvised verses) who will perform alongside Jaume Casalí (diatonic accordion and voice. The week will culminate, on the 28th at eight, with the participation of the musicians of the Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès in the play Calem, the show, by Anna Tobías and Jaume Madaula.
