- Categories:About Bookstores [1]
Indie Bookstores Celebrate St. Jordi’s Day [2]
- By Liz Button [3]
On Monday, April 23, independent bookstores around the world, including some ABA member stores, celebrated St. Jordi’s Day [4], 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 [5] of last year’s celebration at Cellar Door Books [6] in Riverside, California.
American bookstores that celebrated the holiday in 2018 included McNally Jackson [7] in New York City; Seminary Co-op [8] and 57th Street Books in Chicago; Brazos Bookstore [9] in Houston; and Next Chapter Bookstore [10] in Barre, Vermont. Here’s what they posted on social media:
McNally Jackson [11] used Facebook Live to stream a conversation between two Catalan authors, novelist Alicia Kopf and poet Maria Cabrera:
“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 [12] hosted a story time event for young readers with book artist Esther K. Smith:
“#ThrowBackThursday [13] to Sant Jordi’s Day 2016 with Bookseller Katy. Get your FREE rose with any book purchase this Saturday at 57th Street Books [14] 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 [15], the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures in the UChicago Division of the Humanities [16] and Institut Ramon Llull [17]! Learn more at Dragons, Knights & Royalty, Part II: A St Jordi’s Storytime [18].”
Brazos Bookstore [19] is hosting an event on Sunday, April 29, in partnership with the American Institute for Catalan Studies:
“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 [20] partnered with a local flower shop to give out door prizes:
“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 [21] #lovebarre [22] #neiba [23] #nextchapterbooksvt [24]”
As seen on social media, St. Jordi’s Day was also celebrated at bookstores and in cities throughout the world, including Chapters Books [25] in Dublin, Ireland:
Casal Català Irlanda [26] tweeted: “Everything is ready @chaptersbooks [27] #santjordi #SantJordi2018 #BooksAndRoses #traditions”
Burley Smith Books [28] in London, England:
“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 [29]:
Babetharq [30] posted on Instagram: “Sant Jordi 2018 ~“Nunca dos personas leyeron el mismo libro.” (Edmund Wilson) #lesrambles #santjordi2018 #santjordi #diadadesantjordi #llibresiroses #llibertatpresospolitics #llibertatdexpressió”