Once upon a time there was a town on the Costa Brava that decided to open seven bookstores at once, all at the same time, come on, as if literature promised a fairy tale – or about a brave little tailor. Seven brave booksellers changed their lives to adopt the trade, but since stories require some narrative difficulty, some were left by the wayside, bookstores and booksellers, but others signed up. Two years ago this weekend, Calonge opened the seven bookstores, of which four remain – and only two run by their founders – and two new ones that opened a few months ago, new companions in adventures. And still more are expected.
To take stock of these two years, the mayor, Jordi Soler, points to the street, packed to the brim at mid-morning, aware that today's agglomeration seems like a mirage, but stating that “it has been a shock for the town, because The tourist season is deseasonalized a little and interest in coming here grows. There are new restaurants, and a new hotel will open....” Now a new call for aid is being prepared for three new bookstores. “They don't have to be specialized, but we would like at least one to be old,” he adds. It is not about giving up tourism, but about making it grow in another way, and that is why they value gastronomic culture (in the municipality there is the Chair of Gastronomy, Culture and Tourism of the University of Girona, linked to chef Joan Roca), as well as the wine culture: in the town there are eleven varieties of grapes and a dozen wineries, some from farmers like Mas Molla or others from the DO Empordà like Viníric, where tastings inspired by the work of Josep Pla are organized, in collaboration with the foundation, combining books, food and wine.
The two new bookstores are related to this: in Mengem Cultura, in addition to books specialized in cooking, you can do workshops, taste wines or order catering from Mònica Martínez. You can also find Empordà wines in La Fàbrica, but the books are dedicated almost exclusively to music. There is Lidia Lobato, who started as a bookseller at the Orient bookstore – one of those that closed, like Cocollona, an esoteric bookstore, and Llibooks, a children's bookstore. Lobato is also a singer, and that is why, in addition to books for sale, you can consult sheet music and there are objects that visitors can entertain themselves with, such as a series of diaries of cobla musicians with notes of the concerts where they were going to play. A space not only to go in to buy, but to have a good time.
Calonge Còmics has been around since day one, but since this month it has changed owners: the illustrator Pol Verdeguer, who lives in Calonge, was looking for a place to hold workshops, and Sergi Martínez needed to return to Barcelona to reconcile. Verdeguer is still overwhelmed these first days, but he is already thinking of ideas to create a geek community in the region.
In Libelista it has been a year since Carina Vizcaíno took over from Belén Vieyra, and explains that despite the generalist orientation they try not to compete with their colleagues: “To get ahead we have to go as a team.” In fact, Calonge booksellers meet once a week to share strategies and difficulties.
Meritxell Ral has been in charge of Rals Llibres, the other general bookstore, with a more personal touch from day one, and has enough perspective to see that “the project is evolving and it is important that the people have opted for it, and then “In two years, consolidation begins.” “I want to stay here,” she says.
There are also already veterans Cristina Vilà and Xavier Bastús, from the bookstore La Viatgeria, who, among other activities, have organized the stay of a group of influencers and booktagramers - yes, there are also them, such as Marta Cava, LaSaraHolmes, Els BookHunters, Les ulleres de read, Literary Conspiracy, Bookivis or Mixa-, which have left evidence on the networks of their passage through the Town of Books.
And throughout the weekend, activities have been organized to celebrate the second anniversary, many in collaboration with La Marató de TV3. Thus, yesterday, for example, you could hear the Swing Tenes Band during their parade through the bookstores, which led to a dance in the Plaza Major, but also several presentations and signings by authors such as Núria Pradas, Balta Navarro, Ascen Capel, Laia Casadevall, Pere Pons or the comic artist Kim. The party continues today in Calonge, where visitors can end up lost in an immense sea of books.
Catalan version, here
