Indie Bookstores Celebrate St. Jordi’s Day

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On Monday, April 23, independent bookstores around the world, including some ABA member stores, celebrated St. Jordi’s Day, the Spanish holiday that encourages people to exchange a book and a rose with a loved one.

Celebrated primarily in Barcelona, the Spanish holiday that honors the Catalonia region’s patron saint, Saint George, is somewhat like Valentine’s Day for book lovers. To learn more, check out BTW’s coverage of last year’s celebration at Cellar Door Books in Riverside, California.

American bookstores that celebrated the holiday in 2018 included McNally Jackson in New York City; Seminary Co-op and 57th Street Books in Chicago; Brazos Bookstore in Houston; and Next Chapter Bookstore in Barre, Vermont. Here’s what they posted on social media:

McNally Jackson used Facebook Live to stream a conversation between two Catalan authors, novelist Alicia Kopf and poet Maria Cabrera:

McNally Jackson St. Jordi's Day event

“A Catalunya cada 23 d’abril per a la festa de Sant Jordi els amants i els amics celebren l’amor i l’amistat intercanviant llibres i roses. Vingueu a McNally aquest any i celebreu-ho amb nosaltres!” [Translation: “In Catalonia, every April 23rd on St. Jordi’s Day, lovers and friends celebrate love and friendship by exchanging books and roses. This year, come to McNally and celebrate St. Jordi with us!”]

Seminary Co-op Bookstores hosted a story time event for young readers with book artist Esther K. Smith:

Katy from Seminary Co-op on St. Jordi's 2017

#ThrowBackThursday to Sant Jordi’s Day 2016 with Bookseller Katy. Get your FREE rose with any book purchase this Saturday at 57th Street Books as we celebrate St. Jordi’s Day, Barcelona’s most romantic day of the year for book lovers, when Catalans exchange roses and books with those they love. The day starts with a special event for young readers, with book artist Esther K Smith, the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures in the UChicago Division of the Humanities and Institut Ramon Llull! Learn more at Dragons, Knights & Royalty, Part II: A St Jordi’s Storytime.”

Brazos Bookstore is hosting an event on Sunday, April 29, in partnership with the American Institute for Catalan Studies:

Saint Jordi's event at Brazos

“Please sign up and join us Sunday April 29th at 11AM, at Brazos Bookstore for our AICS Sant Jordi Bookfair in Houston with our 3 award winning authors from Catalonia who will be signing books!!”

Next Chapter Bookstore partnered with a local flower shop to give out door prizes:

Next Chapter St. Jordi roses

“Happy St Jordi’s Day! We have partnered with @forgetmenotflowersllc. Come here to get a FREE rose with your purchase today and go to their shop after 5:00 today to a book swap with door prizes from both stores. #shopsmall #lovebarre #neiba #nextchapterbooksvt

As seen on social media, St. Jordi’s Day was also celebrated at bookstores and in cities throughout the world, including Chapters Books in Dublin, Ireland:

Chapters Bookstore St. Jordi

Casal Català Irlanda tweeted: “Everything is ready @chaptersbooks #santjordi #SantJordi2018 #BooksAndRoses #traditions”

Burley Smith Books in London, England:

Burley Fisher St. Jordi

“Teresa, a Catalonian, with her Sant Jordi day gift haul. In Catalonia they celebrate St. George’s Day by giving books. Brilliant idea! @VersoBooks @mitpress”

And, of course, the book stalls along Las Ramblas in Barcelona:

Barcelona St. Jordi's

Babetharq posted on Instagram: “Sant Jordi 2018 ~“Nunca dos personas leyeron el mismo libro.” (Edmund Wilson) #lesrambles #santjordi2018 #santjordi #diadadesantjordi #llibresiroses #llibertatpresospolitics #llibertatdexpressió”

 

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