Barcelona Llibres

Barcelona. Llibre de viatge, co-published by Barcelona Llibres (Barcelona City Council) and the publisherTintablanca, portrays Barcelona from two unique perspectives; through the literary reflections of the writer Carlos Zanón and the delicate illustrations of Lara Costafreda. Conceived as an interactive work, the book invites readers to make their own notes and sketches, offering a unique opportunity to take part in this literary journey through the complexity of Barcelona.

With frank words and a unique vision, Carlos Zanón has woven a tale that captures the soul of the city through his own eyes and experiences, aiming to ensure that this illustrated journey is a distinctive work on the Catalan literary scene.

Barcelona. Llibre de viatge was launched on 22 February at the Fabra i Coats‑Art Factory through a conversation between the author and professor of journalism and friend of Zanón, Francesc Salgado. Lara Costafreda was unable to attend the event as she was overseas, but the importance of her illustrations in capturing the little corners of the city was highlighted.

Carlos Zanón offered a frank and passionate view on the creation of the work, defined as a unique, personal journey through the Catalan capital in a curious way. As well as sharing his experiences, he highlighted the peculiar nature of the commission he had received from the publisher Tintablanca. When asked by the presenter, the author related how he was approached by Manuel Mateo with the idea of creating “his own Barcelona”, a proposal that was initially a rather confusing task. Quoting Mateo, Zanón explained with a smile how he had said: “You’ve made a great book, but you’ve just done what you damn well wanted…” With these words, Zanón stressed that his intention was to make a different kind of book, one that was more personal and intimate, which explores the Barcelona that he has experienced and come to know over the years, but which at the same time clashed with the publisher’s line.

During the conversation with Salgado, Carlos Zanón spoke about the collaboration with Costafreda, whom he has still not met in person, highlighting the importance of her different perspectives on the city. The author described how they worked in parallel, stressing that they wanted to offer a diverse view of Barcelona, with the aim of bringing together different profiles in this illustrated travel book.

Barcelona, challenges and prejudices

“I wanted to talk about previous perspectives and authors, of the two language in which they express themselves. I have not experienced them as opposing. As a newcomer, the book gives you a very intimate and personal view of the city”, Zanón affirmed, reflecting on his own experience as a Barcelona resident who grew up in the Guinardó neighbourhood. During the presentation, Zanón addressed issues such as identity conflicts in Barcelona, the literary influence of Manuel Vázquez Montalbán and the importance of challenging prejudices about neighbourhoods. He concluded with a critical view of Barcelona’s transformation, highlighting the power the city has as a brand, and addressed the duality between opening up to visitors and the loss of the city for its inhabitants.