Llibreria Catalana

Llibreria Catalana is an independent bookshop in Perpignan (el Rosselló), in the Northern Catalonia region of France, founded in 1986. It is described as the only bookstore in Northern Catalonia specialising in books in Catalan and on Catalan themes, giving it a distinctive cultural role in a region where Catalan language and identity have long been a focus of activism and community organising. The shop grew out of the Catalan cultural revival movement of the 1970s and 1980s. Its founders, Joan Miquel Touron (born in Vinçà, el Conflent, in 1959) and Mijo Gómez, were active in the Grup Cultural de la Joventut Catalana, a youth cultural group from which several later Catalan movements emerged, including the Universitat Catalana d'Estiu, the La Bressola schools and the association Arrels. That group ran a small mobile bookshop that travelled through the villages of Northern Catalonia selling Catalan-language books, with Touron as its manager. Building on that experience, the founders first opened the Llibreria del Grup Cultural at the Catalan cultural centre, 2 carrer Sant Mateu, under Mijo Gómez's responsibility, followed in 1983 by a premises on the first floor at 13, place des Poilus, while Touron continued to serve markets and fairs across the region. The two later bought the "Librairie de Catalogne", which had earlier belonged to Julia Gual and then to the poet Jordi-Pere Cerdà. In 2011 the bookshop was handed over to Joana Serra, born in Perpignan in 1985 and strongly linked to Baó, where she served as vice-president of the Catalanist association Aire Nou de Bao. Under her ownership the shop continued its mission of promoting Catalan-language books and culture. In 2020 it won the seventh Martí Gasull i Roig Prize in recognition of its defence of the Catalan language. As a small independent retailer, Llibreria Catalana operates a single physical shop in Perpignan and maintains an official website. Its stock and identity are built around Catalan-language literature and Catalan-themed publishing, and its recognition by the Martí Gasull i Roig Prize underlines its standing as a cultural institution as much as a commercial bookseller.

Llibreria Catalana traces its origins to the Catalan cultural revival in Northern Catalonia in the 1970s and early 1980s. Its founders, Joan Miquel Touron (born in Vinçà, el Conflent, in 1959) and Mijo Gómez, were participants in the Grup Cultural de la Joventut Catalana, a youth cultural group from which several later Catalan movements emerged, including the Universitat Catalana d'Estiu, the La Bressola schools and the association Arrels. This group operated a small mobile bookshop that travelled through the villages of Northern Catalonia selling books in Catalan, and Joan Miquel Touron was responsible for it. After that experience, the founders opened the Llibreria del Grup Cultural, first at the Catalan cultural centre, 2 carrer Sant Mateu, where Mijo Gómez was responsible, followed in 1983 by the opening of premises on a mezzanine/first floor at 13, place des Poilus (13, plaça dels Peluts), while Joan Miquel Touron continued to work the markets and fairs of the region. The two then bought the "Librairie de Catalogne", which years earlier had belonged to Julia Gual and later to the poet Jordi-Pere Cerdà. The bookshop known as Llibreria Catalana was founded in Perpignan (el Rosselló) in 1986, and it is the only bookstore in Northern Catalonia specialising in books in Catalan and on Catalan themes. It thus became a focal point for Catalan-language bookselling in a French region where Catalan language and identity have been central to cultural activism. In 2011 the bookshop was transferred to Joana Serra, born in Perpignan in 1985, who has strong ties to Baó, where she served as vice-president of the Catalanist association Aire Nou de Bao. Under her ownership the shop has continued to serve as a specialist Catalan-language bookseller. In 2020 it won the seventh Martí Gasull i Roig Prize, awarded in recognition of its defence of the Catalan language, confirming its role as both a commercial bookshop and a cultural institution in Northern Catalonia.

• 2020

  Wins the VII Martí Gasull i Roig Prize for its defence of the Catalan language

• 2011

  The bookshop is transferred to Joana Serra

• 1986

  Llibreria Catalana founded in Perpignan (el Rosselló)

• 1983

  Opening of premises at 13, place des Poilus (13, plaça dels Peluts) after the earlier Llibreria del Grup Cultural at 2 carrer Sant Mateu

Independent specialist bookshop and cultural institution dedicated to Catalan-language and Catalan-themed books in Northern Catalonia.

• Catalan-language books

• Books on Catalan themes

1. 1Llibreria Catalana – Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Llibreria Catalana – Viquipèdia (Catalan Wikipedia)ca.wikipedia.org
3. 3Llibreria Catalana – official websitellibreriacatalana.cat