what better day to talk about books and the love thereof than today, right? not only is it world book day, it’s also sant jordi. so feliç diada, i say!
la diada de sant jordi (st. george’s day) is the catalan equivalent to valentines day. on sant jordi catalan cities are plastered with senyeres, you can find book and rose stands on every corner, there are public poetry readings, and people gather to dance sardanes. back in the olden days, men would give women roses, and women would buy books for their men – „a rose for love and a book forever“. today, the mutual exchange of books is also very common. (my friend marta thinks it’s the most charming way for a man to express this opinion).
even now, almost three years after barcelona, this just might be my favorite festivity. a whole day full of roses, books, and love – the PERFECT holiday. can it get any better than this? i think not. and germany is, after all, one of those countries with the most public holidays. adding this one to the list couldn’t possibly hurt anyone, could it?
my „to read“ list is getting longer and longer these days. ruth reichel’s food memoir, for example, or the hearing trumpet by leonora carrington (whose painting „bird pong“ i adore, by the way), leila ahmed’s a quiet revolution, and sheila heti’s how should a person be? (i found this interview with her very refreshing) are right on top of my list. so many books and so little time!
i leave you with this beautiful and bittersweet short film called „the last bookshop“ – i’m going to pay a visit to our local book shop now.
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p.s.: how to talk about books you haven’t read (and why non-reading is an intellectual choice on par with reading). [via]
