The annual celebration—part Valentine’s Day, part book fair—is a boon to Barcelona’s publishing industry
CARE SANTOS begins every Diada de Sant Jordi the same way: by inscribing a copy of her latest book, and leaving it in a public place as a gift for a stranger. “I used to dream of being a writer,” she says. “If someone had told me that I would get to experience Sant Jordi as an author, I would have gone crazy with joy.”
In Catalonia, Sant Jordi is a curious blend of Valentine’s Day and open-air literary festival. April 23rd marks the feast day of the region’s patron and coincides with the day both William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes are said to have died in 1616. Traditionally men give roses to women and women give books to men, though such distinctions are now frequently ignored. Street stands pop up in Barcelona and other Catalan cities, while authors meet with readers and sign books all day.
It has proved a compelling story nonetheless. Barcelona’s publishing houses are said to earn 5% to 8% of annual sales in a single day; new books are launched in March and April to capitalise on the event. In 2008 Carlos Ruiz Zafon sold 120,000 copies of his novel “El Juego del Ángel” in just 12 hours. Florists do even better, taking in 40% of the year’s income on Sant Jordi.
The event has been affected by shifting political tides. It took on added significance following the death of Francisco Franco, as the Spanish dictator had censored books and curbed use of the Catalan language. As, a daily newspaper, described the first post-Franco event in 1976: Barcelona “lived a different atmosphere yesterday. Different, absolutely, from the Sant Jordi of other years. There was a call to democracy. To freedoms.
In 1995 UNESCO designated April 23rd World Book Day, but in Catalonia events maintain a local feel, with flags and banners emblazoned with Sant Jordi’s cross. The day is a celebration of love, literature and the love of literature. This year, as always, Ms Santos will use the same fountain pen to sign books for readers; the only thing that changes is the colour of the ink she uses. This year she has opted for deep red with a particularly appropriate name: “Dragon’s blood”.
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