International authors including South Korea's Han Kang, Scotland's Ali Smith, Switzerland's Joël Dicker, Belgium's Amélie Nothomb, and Galicia's Lucía Solla participated in Barcelona's Sant Jordi celebration, describing it as an "incredible" day filled with books and roses that "should be exported" worldwide.
Many of these authors, some experiencing Sant Jordi for the first time, expressed excitement over the "effervescence" of the day, marked by the tradition of exchanging books and roses. Belgian author Amélie Nothomb, who missed last year's event, stated to ACN that "Sant Jordi must be exported and celebrated all over the world."
Swiss writer Joël Dicker, a returning participant, shared his emotion at seeing "people coming together and giving each other important things," suggesting it "should inspire many people outside to create a festival around books and fraternity."
Authors Praise Unique Book Festival
Scottish author Ali Smith, this year's Sant Jordi herald, delivered a speech warning of the threat posed by "tyrants" to the world's libraries. By 11am, she was signing copies of her book, A Woolf of One's Own (Una Woolf pròpia), at La Central's stall on Carrer de Mallorca. Smith told ACN that she "reborn" on this "incredible" day. She described the streets as "full of books, books and more books, and flowers, and very happy people, and the trees all alive because it's spring." Smith also highlighted the importance of books in challenging times, saying they "remind us that we must remain whole and in harmony with ourselves and those we love."
At 12pm, at La Central del Raval, it was the turn of South Korean Nobel laureate Han Kang, whose book Ink and Blood (Tinta i sang) was recently published in Catalan. Hundreds of followers had been waiting for her since 7.30am, though many were unable to get a signature as she could only sign the first 100 copies due to health reasons. Han Kang received gifts from her loyal readers.
International Acclaim for Barcelona's Book Day
A long queue also awaited Swiss writer Joël Dicker on Passeig de Gràcia. Last year, despite not being physically present, Dicker was the best-selling author in Spanish narrative. He explained that he could not miss this year's event after twelve years away, stating, "I am very emotional about this affection, there is a real link between my readers and me, and there are few occasions like Sant Jordi." Dicker advocated for "more moments like this in cities, with books, people coming together, giving important things to people," contrasting it with a world where "there are many things you can buy for a few cents or euros, but you don't know where it comes from and who brought it to you." He added that this "should inspire many other people from other places."
Just three streets away, Belgian author Amélie Nothomb, who was prevented from attending last year due to last-minute personal problems, described her experience as overwhelming. "I'm used to small literary festivals. I arrive here and see a kilometre-long queue... And the queue is for me. The more I sign, the longer the queue gets. I've never experienced anything like this," she admitted. Nothomb called 23 April a "miracle" and reiterated that "Sant Jordi must be exported, Sant Jordi must absolutely be celebrated all over the world," raising a glass of cava with her Catalan readers.
Galician writer Lucía Solla, whose first novel You Will Eat Flowers (Comerás flores) is a phenomenon, experienced her first Sant Jordi in Barcelona, both professionally and personally. She found it "amazing" and expressed a desire to return as both a reader and writer, hoping "this day never ends." Solla noted the strong empathy readers felt for her protagonist, Marina.
A Global Inspiration
The widespread enthusiasm from these international authors underscores the unique appeal of Sant Jordi and its potential to inspire similar celebrations globally, reinforcing the cultural significance of books and community.
