The yr during which Sant Jordi 2024 turned “world selfie day”: best-selling writers and influencers share a record-breaking Book Day | EUROtoday

Enrique Vila-Matas all the time keep in mind a Saint Georgeagain in 1984, once I was a younger bohemian who had simply revealed Imposture (Anagram). It was so windy that his books flew and hardly anybody approached him. In the closest 2022, the From the Book It was capriciously spring-like, with rain, solar and intense hailstorms that took away a couple of sales space. After a Monday of heavy showers, Saint George This Tuesday dawned with sunshine however winter temperatures and booksellers hope to repeat the file of 2023, once they bought a whopping 1.8 million books.

On Paseo de Gracia and Gran Va, on the stand of the emblematic bookstore Alibri, Fernando Aramburu He has been one of many earliest authors, getting forward of his signing schedule to take care of his lengthy queue. “I prefer this, not stopping, than those years in which he barely signed,” admits the writer of Patriawhich simply revealed The youngsters (Tusquets). “This is not a mechanical job, I am not Charlie Chaplin tightening nuts. It is part of the promotion of reading and although the conversations with readers are brief, they are also very intense, they have a very pleasant human density.” And considered one of his devoted has already given him a e-book by Austral de Jose Luis Alonso de Santos. “I am very fond of this collection,” confesses the author.

At his facet, the nice woman of noir, Alicia Gimnez Bartlettindicators copies of The fugitive womanthe inspector's final case Petra Delicate. “They also bring me my first books, in old editions, something that makes me very excited because it shows great fidelity,” says the author, particularly liked by the Barcelona public. “Only the Italian public surpasses it,” says Giménez Bartlett, whose books have an important pull in Italy.

In the identical place, a felony duel of titans, with Csar Prez Gellida subsequent to the trio Carmen Mola shaped by Antonio Mercero, Agustín Martinez y Jorge Daz, every of them signing in a unique colour. Even earlier than having breakfast at his resort, Jorge Díaz walked alongside Las Ramblas watching how the e-book and rose stalls have been arrange. “Saint George “It's fantastic, one of the best literary journey of the yr,” says Díaz. There are readers who bring them up to six books they have written together. “Sometimes, when somebody has been left with out the signature they have been in search of, we’ve got even gone as far as to signal books that don't exist.” “They are ours,” Daz laughs. So there are some rare examples of Juan Gmez Jurado or his own Prez Gellida signed by Carmen Mola.

“I’m delighted to be again in Barcelona,” he proclaimed. Prez Gellida with his black Batman cap and that, three years after his last Saint George, he even still remembers the names of some of his fans. Many of them also come loaded with several copies. “The impact of the Nadal award is noticeable, it permits you to attain a unique viewers,” adds the author of Under dry ground (Destino), which in January won the oldest award in Spanish literature.

Eduardo Mendoza, which arrived a little late due to the difficulty of moving through the streets of Eixample, was received with applause. And he remembered his first Saint George in the already disappeared Ancora & Delfn: “They gave me a bit desk on Diagonal and nobody stopped. Until a buddy of mine got here by and purchased me a e-book.” It was 1975, when he published The truth of the Savolta case and ended the day chased by the grises, who dispersed the streets with rubber bullets. “Although seen the Saint George Now I virtually choose bullets,” he says ironically. “More than the From the Book“It seems like World Selfie Day, I must be on the memory cards of 250,000 people.” He smiles affably and continues signing his newest hit, Three enigmas for the Organization (Seix Barral), the craziest of his novels that’s now in its fourth version and 100,000 copies bought.

The selfie world has additionally change into the day of the influencers. In TikTokwith a rising neighborhood of booktubers (o booktokers), he hashtag#SantJordi2024 It already exceeds 62 million views. Furthermore, for the primary time, House of the e-book has distributed particular passes in order that youtubers e influencers Do your direct with writers (though the affected person readers haven’t been very joyful concerning the additional wait). The all-rounder Javier Castillowhich is rising as among the finest sellers of the day with The crack of silencehas been established all morning on Paseo de Gracia and Aragón with the longest queue of all.

In a crowded sq. in Catalonia, the place it doesn't appear to be a working day, Elizabeth Benavent y Alice Kellen, genuine phenomena of romantic literature, have their very own particular person tents and fences to handle the longest queues. Planeta has re-implemented the signature system with tickets which might be already launched with Kellen and that this yr expands to different best-selling authors similar to ngel Martn, Henar lvarez o Blue Jeans.

Some readers approached Álvarez carrying a t-shirt printed with considered one of his phrases: “I lose my form but not my reason” they usually introduced him a complete provide package: Kik Kat, waffles, whiskywater, beer, pens… Blue Jeans, which is now on its thirteenth Sant Jordi, has distributed badges to the “golden fans”, those that have come to their signings essentially the most instances. AND ngel Martn He has seen firsthand the tattoos that his readers get with phrases from his books.