Tribute to Gigamesh: 40 years of vice and subculture
One 10 June in 1985, Alejo Cuervo opened the fantasy book shop Gigamesh on Ronda de Sant Pere, Barcelona, sharing space with a pottery business. Now, 40 years later and with new premises on Carrer de Bailèn, it has become a must-visit spot for fandoms; so much so that its regulars call it The Temple. Why? Because Gigamesh is much more than a shop: it is also a meeting place for fantasy fans and a place for cultural activities such as book launches, book clubs, podcast recordings and board games and role play games, boasting a loyal, intergenerational community. The publishing house of the same name created alongside the shop has also enjoyed great successes, including the popularisation of the Catalan translations of George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones. There is no doubt the fantasy and fandom scene in Catalonia and Spain wouldn’t be what it is today without Gigamensh, which is why the 42 Festival awarded Cuervo its Honorary Prize two editions ago and is now paying tribute to this institution. We will do so with Alejo Cuervo himself and bookseller and writer Isabel del Río, who will be led by communicator Carla Plumed, the co-creator of Furia en la librería, which is recorded every month at Gigamesh.
