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Sant Jordi confirms the reading boom: young people and comics drive sales in Catalonia
Catalonia has once again turned Sant Jordi into a massive phenomenon. This year's edition closed with two million books sold and record revenues of 26.7 million euros, confirming the importance of the day in the cultural and commercial life of Catalan cities.
The major new development comes in language. Books in Catalan surpassed titles in Spanish and accounted for more than half of purchases, reinforcing the prominence of the Catalan language at one of the year’s most important cultural events.
Young audiences are also setting the trend. Children’s and young adult literature continues to grow and now represents almost a third of sales, while comics are gaining ever more space in bookshops and street stalls.
Fiction continues to lead, but the rise of visual formats and quick reads reflects a change in cultural consumption habits. Best-selling book lists have also become an immediate guide for readers looking to discover what everyone is reading.
The streets filled on 23 April once again demonstrate Sant Jordi’s urban impact. Bookshops, publishers and businesses experience one of the busiest days of the year, transforming squares and avenues into large open-air cultural spaces.
Sant Jordi thus consolidates a model unique in Europe. The mix of books, roses and neighbourhood life continues to work as one of Catalonia’s great cultural symbols and as an event that connects generations through reading.