Record turnout and sales for 44th edition
The Catalan Book Week closed its 44th edition on Sunday, 27 September 2026, drawing more than 130,000 visitors to Passeig Lluís Companys in Barcelona, an increase of 8,000 compared to last year. Sales turnover is expected to reach one million euros, a 12% rise from 2025, according to organisers. Final figures are still pending, but the data already mark this year’s event as the most successful in the festival’s history.
Boost for Catalan-language publishing
The event, which ran from 18 to 27 September, hosted 282 publishing houses from Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, Northern Catalonia, and Andorra. Over 350 cultural activities were held, including readings, discussions, and book launches. Editors.cat, the trade association representing Catalan publishers, said the figures reflect growing public engagement with literature in Catalan. Oriol Magrinyà, president of Editors.cat, said: "We have experienced the best edition of The Week in its entire history, a fact that demonstrates the good work done in previous years and reaffirms the vitality of the book in Catalan."
We have experienced the best edition of The Week in its entire history.
Organisers confirmed the event will return to Passeig Lluís Companys for a fourth consecutive year, reinforcing its alignment with Barcelona’s annual Mercè festivities.
Highlights and honours
The opening ceremony featured a keynote speech by Biel Mesquida, the most recent recipient of the Honorary Award for Catalan Letters. A dedicated space showcased emerging voices in Catalan poetry, including Ria Dueñas and Júlia Febrer. The Trajectòria award, recognising lifetime contributions to Catalan literature, was presented to writer and humourist Ramon Solsona. A full day of events was also devoted to crime fiction, reflecting growing interest in the genre. The success of this year’s edition underscores the ongoing appeal of the festival for readers, authors, and publishers across the Catalan-speaking regions.
Reported by en.ara.cat, llegim.ara.cat, viaempresa.cat, aldia.cat, thenewbarcelonapost.com, Diari ARA.
