Barcelona: The Flowers Will Come

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Ten years after being declared a UNESCO City of Literature in 2015, Barcelona receives another important recognition: it is the Guest of Honor at the 39th edition of the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL).

This is a significant milestone for the city, as FIL is a world-renowned fair: it is the second largest in terms of business volume, after Frankfurt. As a key meeting point for the Spanish-speaking cultural industry, it is the most important cultural event in Latin America. Its literary festival, held during the nine days of the fair, is the largest in the world. Nearly 750 authors from 49 different countries take part, more than 2,000 publishing houses are represented, and over 3,000 activities are organized. The presence of professionals is substantial—around 20,000 attend—but perhaps most impressive is the public turnout: in 2024, the fair broke its own record with more than 900,000 visitors.

Barcelona at FIL: The Flowers Will Come

From November 29 to December 7, Barcelona will present its own curated program, in dialogue with FIL’s offerings, aimed at showcasing literary Barcelona—a city that is a publishing capital for both Catalan and Spanish-language authors, and an undeniable reference point for the Latin American market.

We celebrate books every day through a unique network of libraries and bookstores, the true cultural fabric of Barcelona. The city is home to major publishing groups and a constantly growing ecosystem of independent publishers—both large and small—as well as literary agencies, printers, distribution professionals, translators, editors, and more. The book industry plays a vital role in the city.

Barcelona’s presence at FIL is also a unique opportunity to present the city through other fields that are also part of the fair. Notable Barcelona participants will be featured in FIL Science and FIL Thought programs. Design, a hallmark of the city, will be prominently represented—from the pavilion to exhibitions that showcase recent digital art experiences. Every day, we will fill FIL with music and performing arts, with both established and emerging performers, including those already well-known in Mexico. Catalonia also has its own film academy, and Catalan productions travel the world—now they will travel to Guadalajara too.

To represent us in Guadalajara, we have chosen the best possible ambassador: Mercè Rodoreda. Our motto, “The flowers will come,” is a line from one of her short stories: flowers as a link to Guadalajara, known as the city of roses, and as a symbol of Sant Jordi’s Day. Barcelona’s literature blooms like flowers and keeps growing. In flowers we also find the idea of a cycle, of continuity—a metaphor that explains the relationship between Barcelona, literature, and Mexico: from the years of exile, when Mexico welcomed Catalan writers, to the literary boom, when Latin American literature flourished in Barcelona. As Guest of Honor, Barcelona wants to tell these and many other stories. And we will do so, surrounded by flowers.