Barcelona City Council presented its municipal publishing label, Barcelona Llibres, at the Fira Internacional del Llibre (FIL) de Guadalajara, outlining the keys to its success and its public-private collaboration model.

A discussion between Helena Codorniu, Barcelona Llibres editor, and Oblit Baseiria, bookseller for the Casa Anita (specialising in children’s literature) and curator of the Barcelona Beceroles collection, highlighted the uniqueness of this municipal label as very few local governments can boast their own consolidated publishing service.

“The work of Barcelona Llibres is more than editing and publishing, it represents a tool for cultural commitment. We organise book presentations, take part in local and international fairs, conduct literary routes, drive the private publishing sector etc. A wide array of initiatives and activities aimed at disseminating knowledge of the city, heritage, memory and culture; fuelling city pride and giving shape to a leading model of public and private collaboration”, noted Codorniu.

For her part, Oblit Baseiria explained: “A public publishing house such as Barcelona Llibres does not mean competition for the local private publishing sector, but rather complements it, filling in the gaps in the market to ensure that the plurality of voices in the city are heard. The Barcelona Llibres Joint Publishing Awards support the private sector, helping to reduce publishing risks and, to its benefit, generating a greater dissemination and distribution of jointly published books”.