Sant Jordi, Lost Luggage, and What's up with Catalonia?

Yesterday, April 21st, the Catalan Institute of America invited me to present What's up with Catalonia? at their annual Sant Jordi/Books & Roses celebration at the 86th Street Barnes & Noble in New York City. The event, which is one of the New York-based Catalan group's major get togethers of the year, together with September 11th, was very well attended, with every seat in the house filled, as well as a fair number sitting in the back. Probably about 200 people in all.

The celebration began with a lovely puppet show for the kids. The hall was then lined with chairs and novelist Jordi Puntí and Mary Ann Newman took the stage to present the new English edition of Jordi's book, Maletes Perdudes [Lost Luggage]. Jordi and Mary Ann took turns reading passages of the book, Jordi in Catalan and Mary Ann in English, and it was both interesting to listen to the story itself, and the curious tale of four brothers whose names were a “sort of Latin declension” of Christopher, as well as listening to the translation and mentally comparing it with the original. Thoroughly enjoyable.

After a short intermission, with delicious chocolates donated from a famous Barcelonian chocolatier, Oriol Balaguer, next up were Laia Balcells, Assistant Professor at Duke University, Jordi Puntí, and myself, with columnist and political scientist Jordi Graupera expertly moderating a panel discussion on What's up with Catalonia? Laia explained how we got where we are, I talked about why and how the book came about, and Jordi gave us a Barcelona-based view of the September 11th demonstration and current atmosphere in the city.

There were a lot of good questions and comments from the audience. Perhaps the most emotional moment came when an older woman stood up and explained that, born in 1933, she had lived through the Franco years and she was determined to live long enough to see Catalonia's independence.

Laia Balcells will talk about What's up with Catalonia? and the Catalan independence process in general on Tuesday with Clara Ponsatí at Georgetown University, while I will be speaking with a group of Harvard University students on Tuesday, and a UMass Amherst group on Wednesday. Please join us at any of those events if you're close by!

Many thanks to all who helped organize these events!

"What's up with Catalonia?" is out!

On February 27, 2013, we presented "What's up with Catalonia?" to a standing-room-only, incredibly warm crowd at the Palau Robert in Barcelona. The speakers included Roger Albinyana, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs for the Catalan Government, Ignasi Genovès, Director of Communications, Vicent Partal, journalist and director of VilaWeb, Carme Forcadell, president of the Catalan National Assembly, and me, Liz Castro, the editor.

Here's the video (in Catalan):

"What's up with Catalonia?" is a collection of brand-new essays—written in the last few months by experts in Catalan history, economy, language, culture, and politics—that explain why 1.5 million people took to the streets on Catalonia's National Day, September 11, 2012, to demand independence from Spain, and how they are channeling that joyous, peaceful, democratic spirit toward the Declaration of Sovereignty, structures of state, and other steps toward having their own independent country.

The objective of this book is to explain the current political situation in Catalonia to the world. Our goal is to offer timely information to political and business leaders, to students and professors, to visitors, to historians, and to anyone else who's interested in going beyond the surface. With that in mind, we have licensed the electronic versions of the book under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs license.

That means:

You are free to share (to copy, distibute, and transmit the electronic versions of the work). Links to follow!

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• Notice — For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work. The best way to do this is with a link to this web page.

At the same time, we ask for your financial support for the work that went into producing this book. You can help by buying either print and electronic copies of the book online:

• Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon.es | Amazon.fr | Amazon.de | Amazon.it | Amazon Canada | Amazon Brazil | Amazon Japan

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• as well as in local bookstores, like Botiga VilaWeb, Llibreria Laie, and the bookstores associated with Bestiari Cooperative.

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You can also donate any amount you wish via Paypal, and we will dedicate that money to sending copies of the book to public libraries, politicians, business leaders, university professors, or anyone else who asks for a donation of the book, or to translating and editing new editions of this book or others about Catalonia. Feel free to attach strings as desired!

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Thank you for your interest and for your support.

“What's up with Catalonia?” will have a prologue by the President of Catalonia

Exciting news! I'm honored to announce that Artur Mas, President of Catalonia, has written a great prologue for the book, What's up with Catalonia? He joins the 35 other experts on Catalonia who explain to a non-Catalan audience just what is going on there through essays on history, economics, politics, language, and culture.

You can download a sample of the book—including the cover and back cover, table of contents, Editor's note, and index. Please feel free to share it with whomever you like.

And here's the cover:



Here's the blurb from the back of the book:

On September 11, 2012, on Catalonia’s National Day, 1.5 million people from all over Catalonia marched peacefully and joyfully through the streets of Barcelona, behind a single placard: Catalonia: New State in Europe. Fifteen days later, President Artur Mas called snap elections for the Parliament of Catalonia, in order to hold a referendum that would let the people of Catalonia decide their own future. The rest of the world and even Spain were caught by surprise, but the events unfolding in Barcelona have been a long time coming.

In this new book, 35 experts explore Catalonia’s history, economics, politics, language, and culture, in order to explain to the rest of the world the fascinating story behind the march, the new legislature, and the upcoming vote on whether Catalonia will become the next new state in Europe.

With a prologue by Artur Mas, President of Catalonia, and contributions from: Ignasi Aragay • Laia Balcells • Germà Bel • Laura Borràs • Alfred Bosch • Núria Bosch • Roger Buch i Ros • Joan Canadell • Pau Canaleta • Salvador Cardús • Muriel Casals • Andreu Domingo • Carme Forcadell Lluís • Josep Maria Ganyet • Salvador Garcia-Ruiz • Àlex Hinojo • Edward Hugh • Oriol Junqueras • M. Carme Junyent • J.C. Major • Pere Mayans Balcells • Josep M. Muñoz • Mary Ann Newman • Elisenda Paluzie • Vicent Partal • Cristina Perales-García • Eva Piquer • Enric Pujol Casademont • Marta Rovira-Martínez • Vicent Sanchis • Xavier Solano • Miquel Strubell • Matthew Tree • Ramon Tremosa • F. Xavier Vila

Inside "What's up with Catalonia?"

Catalonia Press is excited to announce the imminent publication of What's up with Catalonia? a collection of 35 essays from leading Catalan thinkers, politicians, journalists, and other professionals, written especially for a non-Catalan audience, in English.

As you can see in the list below, the collaborators are an extremely illustrious group and the topics they are addressing will give non-Catalan readers a much better grasp of the situation in Catalonia. You can also download a PDF of the list. Please share it!

Our crowdfunding campaign at Verkami is designed to both help us finance the distribution of the book directly to libraries, newspapers, and politicians all over the world, as well as to raise awareness of the project among Catalans, who can share it with their friends and family outside of Catalonia. After four days, we are half of the way to our goal.

We want the world to know what is happening in Catalonia. Please like our page on Facebook, and spread the word in any way you can.

	What's up with Catalonia? List of collaborators/articles
Ignasi Aragay	Journalist The Battle over the audience: language, politics, and culture
Laia Balcells	Assistant Professor of Political Science at Duke University and affiliated researcher at the Institut d’Anàlisi Econòmica, CSIC (Barcelona) Opening the black box of secessionism
Germà Bel	Professor of Economics at the University of Barcelona. Visiting Professor at Cornell University and Princeton University in 2012-2013. Strangers in their own land
Laura Borràs	Professor of Literary Theory and Comparative Literature at University of Barcelona. Director of the Institution of Catalan Literature. Non-nationalist independentism
Alfred Bosch	Writer and historian; MP for ERC (pro-independence Republican left) in Spanish Congress of Deputies in Madrid Judo in Madrid
Núria Bosch	Professor of Economics at the University of Barcelona The Viability of Catalonia as a state: fiscal flows
Roger Buch i Ros	Writer and Professor at Ramon Llull University The CUP: the oldest—and newest—pro-independence party
Joan Canadell	General Secretary of the Cercle Català de Negocis (Catalan Business Circle) The Catalan Business Model: past, present, and future
Pau Canaleta	Political and business strategist What happened on November 25th?
Salvador Cardús	Professor of Sociology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and journalist What has happened to us Catalans?
Muriel Casals	Professor of Economics at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, President of Òmnium Cultural From Culture to politics via the economy
Andreu Domingo	Deputy Director of the Centre for Demographics Studies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona Catalonia, land of immigrants
Carme Forcadell Lluís	President of the Catalan National Assembly, professor and consultant Catalonia, New State in Europe
Josep Maria Ganyet	Computer engineer, new media professor and entrepreneur. Net activist and would-be poet. Keep Calm and Speak Catalan
Salvador Garcia-Ruiz	Co-founder of Emma Network and former consultant, investment banker, and film entrepreneur. To my Spanish friends
Àlex Hinojo	Wikipedian, Museum Consultant and Open Culture Advocate Yet Another Wiki?
Edward Hugh	Independent macroeconomist, expert on the European Sovereign Debt Crisis, member of board of directors of Catalunya Caixa bank. Is the perfect always and everywhere the enemy of the good?
Oriol Junqueras	President of Republican Left of Catalonia. Opposition Leader in Catalan Parliament. 2013: The Transition Year Toward the Referendum on Independence
M. Carme Junyent	Professor of General Linguistics at the University of Barcelona The Languages of the Catalans
J.C. Major	Co-founder of Emma Network, New York-based linguist On the prickly matter of language
Pere Mayans Balcells	Professor of Secondary Catalan Language and Literature Education, Director of the Language Immersion and Welcome Service Schooling in Catalonia, a key element for guaranteeing equal linguistic opportunities for the entire population (1978-2012)
Josep M. Muñoz	Historian and Editor of the magazine L’Avenç News from Catalonia
Mary Ann Newman	Writer and translator Americans (Heart) Catalonia: A geometric progression
Elisenda Paluzie	Professor and Dean of the School of Economics and Business at the University of Barcelona The Finances of the Catalan government: a premeditated asphyxia
Vicent Partal	Founder and Director of Vilaweb, Vice-president of the European Journalism Center Our place in the world: The land of Barcelona
Cristina Perales-García	Professor of Communication, University of Vic (Catalonia) How did we get here? A look at the recent history of Catalonia and the Basque Country within Spain
Eva Piquer	Writer, Cultural journalist, mother of four, Member of the Catalan Parliament Time to say “Yes”
Enric Pujol Casademont	Professor in the Department of Modern and Contemporary History at the Autonomous University of Barcelona Wilson, Obama, Catalunya and Figueres
Marta Rovira-Martínez	PhD in Sociology from Autonomous University of Barcelona. Researcher and documentarian. September 11th (1714) and other national symbols of Catalonia
Vicent Sanchis	Professor in journalism at Ramon Llull University, Editor/Publisher of El Temps magazine, columnist and author Catalonia or Catalan Countries?
Xavier Solano	Diplomatic adviser in London and political aide to Scottish MPs in the UK Parliament A Scottish referendum for Catalonia
Miquel Strubell	Worked in Catalan language government body for 19 years, and currently at the Open University of Catalonia Language in education
Matthew Tree	Anglo-Catalan writer Catalan language literature: What’s going on?
Ramon Tremosa	Member of the European Parliament since 2009 Catalonia, new state in Europe? The view from Brussels
F. Xavier Vila	Director of the University Centre for Sociolinguistics and Communication and Associate Professor at the University of Barcelona It’s always been there. The Position of Catalan and other languages in Catalonia

Download the PDF of the list of collaborators and articles in What's up with Catalonia?

Dr. Moisès Broggi, The International Brigade surgeon

In honor of the long and brilliant life of Dr. Moisès Broggi, who passed away today, I'm posting the interview that Toni Strubell did with him in his excellent book, What Catalans Want.

Update: Ara.cat newspaper is reporting that Dr. Moisès Broggi was Ernest Hemingway's inspiration for one of the young, brave Republican doctors at the front in For Whom the Bell Tolls. Hemingway was impressed by Broggi, a surgeon, who saved the lives of many of the International Brigades who fought on the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War. Broggi also pioneered the use of mobile surgery units as well as 24-hour emergency hospital care.

Dr. Moisès Broggi’s home is a small haven of peace in a hectic district uphill from the centre of Barcelona. A small gate on a side-alley off a major avenue leads to narrow steps that transport one into a quiet garden home, where the 102-year-old doctor lives with his charming wife, Angelina. Small in stature, but universally admired in Catalonia, he is one of the last living vestiges of Catalan Republican dignity. Indeed, in 2009, he was shortlisted for the prestigious ‘Catalan of the Year’ prize granted yearly, on the basis of a popular vote, by the newspaper El Periódico—though FC Barcelona’s triumphant coach, Pep Guardiola, eventually carried off the award. For the press and institutions, Dr. Broggi is a key figure to turn to when debates and tributes are being planned. In that same year, 2009, he was also awarded the Catalan Government’s highest distinction.

Dr. Broggi was born in Barcelona in 1908. He studied medicine at Barcelona University, where he graduated in 1931, the same year that the ill-fated Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He specialized in a field that was going to prove vital in the tragic years ahead: surgery. When the Civil War broke out he had no doubts about taking sides for the Republic, which had enabled Catalonia to recover part of her political autonomy in 1932. Dr. Broggi joined up with the International Brigade’s medical team. He was very active in the creation of mobile operating theatres placed near the trenches. At the end of the war he initially took up posts at the Vallcarca and Hospital Clínic hospitals in Barcelona, but his political record soon caught up with him and he was suspended. He was submitted to the usual reprisals to which most Republican medical staff were exposed. He was nevertheless able to continue practicing in different clinics, at a time when doctors were very much in demand.

After Franco had died, in 1980, Dr. Broggi was elected president of both the Royal Academy of Medicine in Barcelona and the Commission on Medical Ethics of the College of Medicine. He was also a founding member of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, a prestigious association that won the Nobel Prize in 1985. Similarly, several universities have conferred upon him Honoris Causa degrees. In 2010, the new public hospital at Sant Joan Despí—just outside Barcelona—was named Hospital Moisès Broggi, an honour that greatly satisfied this venerable veteran of Catalan surgery.

Do you think the sacrifice of the International Brigades in the Civil War has been sufficiently acknowledged by present-day society?

I’m convinced that their contribution has not been commemorated enough. Their sacrifice was truly remarkable. All those people who came here to put their lives in peril for an ideal! At the Battle of the Ebre, in late 1938, there were still International Brigade volunteers present. It was extraordinarily memorable and praiseworthy. Not enough has been done to honour them. This could be put down to the way in which the political transition after Franco was handled. After Franco’s death, things didn’t change as they should have done. In many senses Francoism continued to exist, and in many ways it still does today! There are elements that subsist in the legislation that prove that the Franco regime is still alive and kicking. I think this has a great influence on things even today, despite the democratic gloss.

What kind of influence does it have?

I think there are admirers of Franco who still pull the strings. This effectively prevents Spain enjoying a fuller degree of democracy. There were a lot of people who, as we say in Catalan, ‘swam between two waters’, and who still hold office and wield power today. Look at Rodolfo Martín Villa presiding over Sogecable. Or the late Juan Antonio Samaranch’s post as Honorary President of the International Olympic Committee.¹ Deep down, it’s a disgrace to all democrats, and won’t look at all good in history books. I reckon a large part of Spain’s right wing is still Francoist. Their favourite motto is: ‘We were better off under Franco’.

But lots of members of the Partido Popular say they have nothing to do with Francoism…

Of course they do. They deny it because they’re ashamed to admit it. But, deep down, I’m convinced they do. They don’t want to own up because, as is well known, the crimes committed during the Franco regime have begun to be publicized worldwide. As time goes on, more and more is known about the terrible crimes Franco committed. Although their perpetrators remain unpunished, the regime was morally reprimanded at the European Parliament and by the United Nations’ Human Rights Council in 2008. All this makes things increasingly embarrassing for diehards. This is why every attempt has been made to sweep all these crimes under the carpet.

What is your opinion of Allied non-interventionism during the Civil War?

That was a disaster for us. The rebellion of the generals in 1936 brought havoc on our country, and left us without law and order. At the outbreak of the war, extremists won the day on both sides. And it was then, thanks to Franco’s coup, that the more radical factions—the FAI² in Republican areas and the Falangists in Franco-controlled zones—took over completely. That was disastrous for us because Franco continued to enjoy the support of Hitler and Mussolini, whereas the negative image created by the FAI led the democratic nations to abandon us, hoodwinked as they were by the propaganda put around by the conservative and Catholic press in Europe.

Do you think the Republican and Catalan governments could have done more to stop the crimes in the Republican rearguard?

No, I really do not. Our government just didn’t have the resources to face up to the situation. It had very few military assets, and it was at the mercy of the anarchists who had hoarded large quantities of arms during an uprising prior to the Civil War, in October 1934. The economic situation was also desperate. Unemployment was enormous because work on building the underground railway in Barcelona had come to an end. Lots of people had been made redundant. There were a lot of people on the streets, some of whom were armed and more than willing to kick up trouble. There was no stopping them when the coup unleashed violence in its worst form.

In 2008, the Consuls-General of France and Germany publicly apologized for their countries’ part in handing over President Companys³ to Franco…

Yes. But for some strange reason, the ceremony conducted at the Generalitat Palace did not get the coverage it deserved. I know, for example, that the Consuls-General were unwilling to let their speeches be published. It was as if they had subsequently been put under pressure to hold back. And that would surely be because the diplomatic corps, despite accepting the invitation to participate in such a noble act, knew that influential members of the local establishment are associated—either by family or ideological connections—with the Fascists who had Companys shot. They weren’t happy at all about that ceremony. I’d say they had strings pulled to have the tribute muffled.

What about the position of Madrid with respect to Companys?

They have never apologized for what the State did. They have not even annulled the sentence with which Franco sentenced him to death! Now I believe they have issued the family some kind of ‘good conduct diploma’, that they were made to apply for at the Ministry of Justice. It’s humiliating, and quite unlike anything that has happened in other countries that have overcome dictatorships and civil wars.

Did you ever meet President Companys yourself?

Yes, I did. And I pride myself on being able to say that I enjoyed a personal friendship with him. I remember we had a meal together with him in the company of other doctors. He was a most inspiring and dignified leader. It’s curious, because my mother had a small shop with an assistant who was an orphan. Her name was Carme Ballester. My mother had taken her on and treated her like a daughter. And it was that girl who, when she grew up, became Lluís Companys’ second wife! So I’ve got plenty of memories of him, all of them positive. Such was the relationship president Companys had with our family that he entrusted a very delicate matter to my father during the war.

Do you think that the Catalan issue was one of the reasons Franco declared war?

Yes, I think it was very important. The Republic had accepted an incipient form of devolution for Catalonia with the 1932 Statute of Autonomy. Subsequently there were achievements as significant as the creation of the Autonomous University of Barcelona. These greatly upset the Spanish right and the military. But the spark that really set the Civil War alight, in my opinion, was the fact that in 1936 the Republic was considering the economic question and the need to finance Catalan self-government. That is very often overlooked. But I do think anti-Catalan feeling was a key issue in the outbreak of the war. It’s very similar, in that sense, to the current situation, in which the financial issue is what most seems to infuriate Madrid.

Senator Francesc Ferrer coined the term ‘Catalanophobia’ to refer to the dislike many Spaniards have for things Catalan. Do you consider the term appropriate?

As I see it, there is outright antagonism between Catalonia and Spain. That’s nothing new. It has age-old roots. It’s a gut feeling both for them and for us. The reason is that we are completely different. We belong to two different nations. They are Spanish and we are Catalan. The problem is we are completely and utterly subjugated to them. They take advantage of the power they exert over us. Little by little they are throttling our economy, and taking advantage of us without showing us the slightest respect or indeed gratitude for the economic solidarity we show. They need us for the tax levies they get out of us. But at the same time they mistreat us. The big change occurring now is that Catalonia no longer needs Spain.

In most democratic countries the administration goes to great lengths to curtail inter-ethnic strife and prevent tension between communities. Is this so between Spain and Catalonia?

For reasons that escape me, the Madrid government seems to have no interest whatever in improving the relationship between Catalans and Spaniards. They could do so by encouraging mutual understanding, and the right of each community to choose the political future that best suits it. They could strive to get these choices respected. Even the king could do something about this. But his incapacity or reluctance to do so is more than our patience can put up with any more. I think the king is anything but impartial. He has no interest in Catalonia and how Catalans feel. He has just been to Santiago de Compostela to pray for national unity before the tomb of Saint James. And that’s no joke! The truth is that we have reached a point at which the only option left is separation.

At present there is political unrest in Catalonia. Why is that so, in your opinion?

I believe it is because people have been able to overcome the fear that memories of the Civil War inspired in them. People do not remember it so much now. Fear has largely been overcome, even though there are lots of people who are still unwilling to talk about the past. War is a very serious matter. Many people cannot forget that the others, the right wing, have always had the army behind them. And the army is constitutionally primed to act against us if necessary. In that sense, the situation is not so very different from that of Yugoslavia in the nineties.

Can the situation in Catalonia be compared with those in other countries?

The situation we are going through cannot be seen as something entirely remote for a lot of people in Europe. Before the 1914-18 war, situations like ours today were widespread. There were the Ottoman and the Austro-Hungarian Empires, whose disappearance after the war enabled the emergence of a whole range of nations, some of which had lacked freedom for centuries. Greece and the Balkan countries had been dominated and exploited by the Turks. Sweden and Norway separated peacefully in 1905. Likewise, the British granted independence to many nations after World War II, largely without bloodshed. Now Catalonia needs that same kind of treatment. Like Scotland, Catalonia is awaiting an opportunity to be free. I really cannot think why it is seen as so impossible for Catalonia to separate from Spain! Now is the moment to lay our cards on the table and make our demands as clear as possible. We want to be free. It’s that simple.

Do you think the international community will understand that?

The main problem is that no-one seems to know about us. Nobody knows about our problems. People think we’re just Spaniards with a stupid tendency to complain about things all the time. I think it would be a very good idea if we tried to carry on with the excellent work done by people like Pau Casals, Josep Maria Batista i Roca and Josep Trueta.⁴ They were able to put across our case most effectively. I also think tourism should be exploited more in this sense. People ought to be told who Gaudí really was. Aren’t his buildings the most visited monuments in Barcelona? When you visit Italy, they tell you all about Michelangelo and his ideological position. Here it seems to be a taboo to let anyone know that Gaudí was in favour of Catalan independence or that he was arrested for speaking in Catalan. Maybe if these things were explained, people would have more of an insight into what is going on here.

Notes

1. Rodolfo Martín Villa, who held various posts under the Franco regime and was Interior Minister in the transition government of Adolfo Suárez from 1976 to 1979, has been chairman of Sogecable, one of Spain’s largest pay-TV providers, since 2006; Juan Antonio Samaranch (1920–2010), famous as the President of the International Olympic Committee from 1980 to 2001, had previously been one of the leading figures of the Franco regime in Catalonia from the 1950s to the 1970s.
2. The Federación Anarquista Ibérica (Iberian Anarchist Federation), a radical and violent anarchist group linked to the anarchosyndicalist union the CNT before and during the Civil War.
3. Lluís Companys (1882–1940), President of the Catalan Generalitat from 1933 and throughout the Civil War, went into exile in France at the end of the war. In August 1940 he was arrested by the German Gestapo with the assistance of the French Pétain government, and handed over to the Franco regime. He was tried by court-martial and executed in October 1940.
4. A reference to three of the most distinguished Catalan exiles who played prominent roles in international cultural life after the Civil War: the celebrated cellist Pau Casals (1876–1973; often known internationally as Pablo, the Spanish form) worked tirelessly to publicize the cause of Catalonia and democracy from his exile in France and Puerto Rico; the historian and anthropologist Josep Maria Batista i Roca (1895–1978) also went into exile and taught for many years at Cambridge University, founding various institutions to promote awareness of Catalan culture; and Doctor Josep Trueta (1897–1977), Professor of Orthopaedics at Oxford from 1949 to 1965 and one of the creators of the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, also published a short book in 1940 on The Spirit of Catalonia.

Catalonia Press books on sale

In honor of the news that Catalonia will hold early elections in order to have a referendum on independence, Catalonia Press is putting all of the electronic versions of its books on sale for just $3.99 (2.49£/2.99€). We think that our books can help to get a thorough understanding of just what is going on in Catalonia.

What Catalans Want by Toni Strubell and with gorgeous photographs by Lluís Brunet, is a collection of interviews of Catalan politicians, professionals, academics, artists, and journalists who explain just what is happening in Catalonia and why a million people came out to protest the whittling away of the Catalan Statute of Autonomy in 2010, and why another million and a half demonstrated this past September 11, 2012.

Barcelona, Catalonia: A View from the Inside is a collection of witty and sometimes cutting essays by long-time resident of Catalonia, Matthew Tree. Matthew explains life in Barcelona like only an astute insider can.

Barcelona INK is a collection of short stories, poetry, artwork, and interviews by some 30 Barcelona based writers and artists, edited by Ryan Chandler. Learn about Barcelona through its fiction and art!

Presenting “The Best of Barcelona INK”

I am thrilled to announce Catalonia Press’ new book, The Best of Barcelona INK, available in both print and electronic editions. Barcelona INK is a Barcelona-based literary magazine, edited by Ryan Chandler. It features short stories, essays, poems, artwork, and interviews of English-speaking writers based in Barcelona.

The launch for The Best of Barcelona INK will be held April 20, at 7pm, at the Universitat de Barcelona, Josep Carner Building (Aribau, 2) in Barcelona. Matthew Tree, Michael Eaude, David C. Hall, Stephen Burgen, Lynn Baiori, Lesley Galeote, and Gloria Montero will all speak. Please come!

You can download a sample of the book in EPUB format (for most ereaders, including Apple iPad/iPhone/iPod touch, Sony Reader, Kobo, and others) and Kindle/mobi (for all Amazon readers).

This first volume of The Best of Barcelona INK includes short stories and essays by:

Michael Eaude (on Amazon, Goodreads)
Stephen Burgen (on Amazon, Goodreads, LibraryThing
Simon Newman (on Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barcelona Metropolitan, PO Life)
Richard Manchester (on Amazon, Facebook)
Gloria Montero (on Barcelona Metropolitan, Interview)
Matthew Tree (Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter)
Jeff King
Lynn Baiori (email, Trilengua)
Sameer Rawal
David C. Hall (website, on Amazon, Facebook, Barcelona Skyline, Google)
John Short
Haarlson Phillipps (website, Facebook, Amazon, Smashwords)
Màrius Serra (website, Wikipedia, Twitter)
James Beddington
P.J. Kavanagh (Wikipedia)
Leah Ganse (email, LinkedIn)
Anna Chieppa (email)
Tony Tysoe
Lesley Galeote (email)

“The Best of Barcelona INK” features poetry by:

Philip Levine (Wikipedia, Amazon)
Pauline Stainer (Wikipedia, Bloodaxe Books)
Jamie McKendrick (Wikipedia)
D. Sam Abrams (Wikipedia, Facebook)
Joan Margarit (website, Wikipedia)
Alan Jenkins (Wikipedia)
Richard Gwyn (website, blog, Amazon)
Tom Chandler
Robert W. Service (Wikipedia)
Tom Edge
Mark Reading (website)

Finally, there are short interviews of
Colm Tóibín (website, Amazon, Wikipedia)
Ian Rankin (website, Amazon, Wikipedia, Twitter, Goodreads)
D. Sam Abrams (see above, under poets)
Richard Gwyn (see above, under poets)
Najat El Hachmi (Wikipedia, Goodreads, Amazon)
Matthew Tree (see above, under writers)
Steve Toltz (website, Wikipedia, Amazon)
Elena Moya (website, Amazon, Goodreads)
Rupert Thomson (Wikipedia, Amazon)
Lydia Lunch (website, Wikipedia)

And we mustn’t forget the artwork and poetry of the editor, Ryan Chandler.