From the blank page to the bookshelf
A series of talks at the Esquerra de l’Eixample – Agustí Centelles Library shows us how the agents of the book world work.
You’ve just finished a book you enjoyed (or perhaps didn’t) and are placing it on a shelf in your library. But stop for a moment. What happened between the moment an author sat down in front of a blank sheet (or screen) and this instant? Many things—so many that it will take five ninety-minute sessions to explain them. This is the series How the agents of the book world work, running from 19 November to 16 December at the Esquerra de l’Eixample – Agustí Centelles Library.
Make sure you’re interested in the talks, because you have to sign up for the entire series and attend all the scheduled activities. Registration is required, but free. The cycle is coordinated by writer and editor Miquel Adam, who will introduce you to an editorial process involving not only authors, but also professionals from many different trades: from editors and translators to booksellers and content creators connected to the world of books. Here you will meet professionals from all these fields.
On Wednesday, 19 November at 6.30 pm, Aissata M’ballo and Diana Rahmouni—two adventurers who created their own publishing house, Jande Editorial, from scratch—will speak about publishing. Was it a difficult process? How do they set themselves apart from other publishers? Is the publishing market and book demand as they imagined it? They will answer these questions themselves.
They will be followed by two emerging voices in Catalan fiction, both winners of the Documenta Prize for narrative. Irene Pujadas and Víctor Recort will speak on Wednesday, 26 November, about the work they do as authors, the jobs they take within the publishing industry or in bookstores, and also about The New Yorker magazine.
Pau Vidal and Esther Tallada will talk about the profession of translation on Wednesday, 3 December. Do they feel threatened by artificial intelligence? Or perhaps by proofreaders they need to battle with every day? Come and ask them.
Booksellers Olga Federico and Mireia Perelló (La Impossible) will explain on Wednesday, 10 December, how they created their business in central Barcelona twelve years ago and how they would summarise their experience. If you want to know what being a bookseller really involves, don’t miss it.
On Tuesday, 16 December, finally, it will be the turn of people like Laia Bonjoch and Sergi Purcet, who create book-related content for media outlets or social networks.
If you want to know what happens between the moment a writer pens the first letter of their future book and the instant you reach the word “End,” register now and don’t miss How the agents of the book world work—but first check the website of the Esquerra de l’Eixample – Agustí Centelles Library for full information on the series.