Once upon a time there was a town on the Costa Brava that decided to open seven bookshops at once, all at the same time, oh, as if literature promised a fairy tale – or of a brave tailor, as the case may be. Seven brave booksellers changed their lives to adopt the trade, but since stories require some narrative difficulty, some fell by the wayside, both bookstores and booksellers, but there are those who signed up again, and such a day will make a year. Well, in fact this weekend two years ago, Calonge inaugurated the seven bookshops, but of which four remain - but only two run by their founders - and two new ones that opened a few months ago, new adventure companions. And still more are expected.
When taking stock of these two years, the mayor, Jordi Soler, points to the street, full to the brim in the middle of the morning, aware that the agglomeration of this Saturday seems like a mirage, but notes that " it has been a shock for the town, because the tourist season is deseasonalized a little and the interest to come grows. They have opened new restaurants, a new hotel must open...". A new call for aid is now being prepared for three new bookshops. "They don't have to be specialized, but we would like at least one to be an old man," he adds. It is not about giving up tourism, but about making it grow in a different way, and that is why they value gastronomic culture (in the municipality there is the Chair of Gastronomy, Culture and Tourism at the University of Girona, linked to chef Joan Roca), as well as the culture of wine: the village has eleven own grape varieties and a dozen wineries, some from farmers like Mas Molla or others from the DO Empordà like Viníric, where tastings inspired by the work by Josep Pla, in collaboration with the foundation, pairing books, food and wine.
The two new bookshops are related: in Mengem Cultura, in addition to books specializing in cooking, you can do workshops, taste wines or order catering from Mònica Martínez. Empordà wines can also be found in La Fàbrica, but the books are dedicated almost exclusively to music. There is Lidia Lobato, who started working as a bookseller at the Orient bookstore - one of those that closed, like Cocollona, esoteric, and Llibooks, children's. Lobato is also a singer, which is why, in addition to the books for sale, you can consult scores or objects with which the visitor can be entertained, such as a series of diaries of copla musicians with the notes of the concerts they were going to play. A space not only to enter to buy, but to spend time there.
Calonge Cómics 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, the first days, but he is already thinking of ideas to create a geek community in the region.
At La Libelista, it's been a year since Carina Vizcaíno took over from Belén Vieyra, and explains that despite the generalist orientation, they try not to compete with colleagues: "In order to move forward, we have to work as a team". In fact, Calonge booksellers meet once a week to share strategies and difficulties.
Meritxell Ral has been at the head of Rals Llibres, the other general bookstore, with a more personal touch, from the first day, and he has enough perspective to see that "the project is evolving and it is important that the people bet on it, and then after two years the consolidation begins". "I want to stay here", he says.
Also already veterans are Cristina Vilà and Xavier Bastús, from the La Viatgeria bookstore, who, among other activities, have organized the stay of a group of influencers and booktagramers - yes, there are also some, such as Marta Cava, LaSaraHolmes, Els BookHunters, Reading glasses, Literary Conspiracy, Bookivis or Mixa–, which have left a record on the networks of their time in the Town of Books.
In fact, activities have been organized throughout the weekend to celebrate the second anniversary, many in collaboration with TV3's La Marató. Yesterday, for example, the Swing Tenes Band could be heard making a parade through the bookshops that led to a dance in the Plaça 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 on Sunday in Calonge, where visitors can end up, like the song, lost in the immense sea... of books.
