Casa Anita

Casa Anita is an independent bookshop in Barcelona, Catalonia, specialising in children's and young adult literature and in illustrated picture books (àlbums il·lustrats) for both children and adults. It was founded in 2004 in a small premises on Carrer de Santa Eugènia in Barcelona, and later moved to Carrer de Vic, 14, in the heart of the Gràcia neighbourhood, where it occupies the ground floor of an early-20th-century building near the Mercat de la Llibertat. The move brought with it a large courtyard that has become one of the shop's most emblematic spaces and a social and cultural hub for the neighbourhood, hosting presentations and gatherings. The name Casa Anita was inherited from the first premises the bookshop occupied: a baby-clothing and haberdashery shop run by a Mrs Anita. The bookshop chose to keep the sign and the name. The project is led by Oblit Baseiria Virgili, founder and owner, who holds a degree in Philology from the University of Barcelona and has a long career in publishing and bookselling, including roles at Columna Edicions and Grupo Planeta, where she served as editorial director. Casa Anita defines itself through a clear editorial philosophy: it believes that books for children must be good books — good texts, good images and beautiful editions; that well-made illustration has great value in the narrative construction of picture books; that children's and young adult books are literary and artistic works rather than exclusively pedagogical tools; and that good books rise above fashions, values or sales 'successes'. In its own words, good books never go out of fashion, and a good children's book is also a good book for adults. Beyond its own programme of events, the bookshop has taken part in fairs and festivals such as the Setmana del Llibre en Català, the Setmana de l'Àlbum and Món Llibre. Among its own initiatives, the Trobada Il·lustrada stands out: organised annually around the Diada de Sant Jordi, it brings together illustrators from Catalonia, the rest of Spain and internationally. Casa Anita has also extended its reach beyond its immediate surroundings, actively collaborating with primary and secondary schools and participating in master's degrees and programmes dedicated to school libraries and children's literature in both Spain and South America. In 2026 it received the Premi Boixareu Ginesta for bookseller of the year, awarded by the Federació de Gremis d'Editors d'Espanya (FGEE).

Casa Anita was founded in 2004 in a small premises on Carrer de Santa Eugènia in Barcelona. From the outset it was conceived as a specialist bookshop devoted to children's and young adult literature and illustration, and as a space open to the community. Its growth led it to move to Carrer de Vic, 14, in the heart of the Gràcia neighbourhood. The new location, on the ground floor of an early-20th-century building near the Mercat de la Llibertat, incorporated a large courtyard that has become one of the bookshop's most emblematic spaces and a social and cultural point for the neighbourhood, used for presentations and gatherings. The name Casa Anita was taken from the first premises the bookshop occupied: a baby-clothing and haberdashery shop run by a Mrs Anita. The bookshop decided to keep the sign and the name. The project is led by Oblit Baseiria Virgili, founder and owner, who holds a degree in Philology from the University of Barcelona and has a long career in publishing and bookselling, following her time at Columna Edicions and Grupo Planeta, where she served as editorial director. In addition to its own programming, the bookshop has participated in fairs and festivals such as the Setmana del Llibre en Català, the Setmana de l'Àlbum and Món Llibre. Among its own initiatives, the Trobada Il·lustrada stands out: organised annually around the Diada de Sant Jordi, it brings together illustrators from Catalonia, the rest of Spain and internationally. The bookshop has also extended its activity beyond its immediate surroundings: in addition to actively collaborating with primary and secondary schools, Casa Anita participates in master's degrees and programmes dedicated to school libraries and children's literature in both Spain and South America. In 2026 it received the Premi Boixareu Ginesta for bookseller of the year, awarded by the Federació de Gremis d'Editors d'Espanya (FGEE).

• 2026

  Casa Anita receives the Premi Boixareu Ginesta for bookseller of the year from the FGEE.

• 2004

  Casa Anita is founded in a small premises on Carrer de Santa Eugènia, Barcelona.

• The bookshop moves to Carrer de Vic, 14, in the Gràcia neighbourhood, incorporating a large courtyard.

Independent, community-oriented specialist bookshop with a strong editorial philosophy that children's books are literary and artistic works, not merely pedagogical tools.

• Children's and young adult literature

  Curated selection of literary works for children and young adults.

• Illustrated picture books (àlbums il·lustrats)

  Picture books for children and adults, with emphasis on well-made illustration.

1. 1CASA ANITA LLIBRES | LLIBRERIAcasaanitallibres.com
2. 2Casa Anitawikidata.org
3. 3Casa Anitaca.wikipedia.org