Castelló library book clubs return with author visits

The Biblioteca Ramon Bordas i Estragués, the public library in Castelló d'Empúries, is restarting its reading clubs this autumn after the summer break. The new season covers comics, fiction, theatre and young readers, with visits from several authors and two theatre trips to Barcelona.

Each club is run by a dedicated facilitator. The programme is built around shared reading and group discussion.

Comics club opens the season

The comics reading club is the first to return. It has been running for more than twelve years and meets once a quarter.

Its first session is on 8 October and will look at Los combates cotidianos by French cartoonist Manu Larcenet. Ovídia Barneo, who has led the club since it began, will continue to run the meetings.

Llegir el Teatre marks ten years

The library is also starting a new edition of Llegir el Teatre ("Reading Theatre"), which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. The play-reading project is backed by the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, the Teatre Lliure and the library service of the Catalan government's Department of Culture. The Grup de Teatre Esplais and Tequatre also collaborate.

The group will discuss five plays over the course of the season. Maria Rosa Oliveras will lead the sessions, as in previous years. The first play is Cadell by Josep Maria Miró, which will be discussed on 29 October.

A highlight comes in March. Playwright, actor and director Llàtzer Garcia will talk with participants about Grans bardisses, a play he wrote and directed himself.

The same play is at the centre of the club's outings. On 6 March 2027 the group will travel to Barcelona to see Grans bardisses at the Teatre Lliure. In May, participants will join the Catalonia-wide meeting of Llegir el Teatre clubs, which includes a performance of La mare Coratge i els seus fills (Mother Courage and Her Children).

Places on both trips are limited. Anyone who wants to attend must register in advance and buy a ticket.

Fiction club features local writer

The fiction reading club first hosts the October meeting of "Un llibre, un destí" ("One book, one destination"), a gathering of reading clubs from across the Girona area. This year's meeting is devoted to Les Closes by Maria Àngels Anglada.

After that, the club will discuss five books during the season. It starts on 19 November with Florence, la indòmita by Joan Manuel Soldevilla, a writer from the Empordà. Soldevilla will take part in the session and talk about how he wrote the book.

A second author visit follows in March, when Jordi Dausà will discuss his novel Lèmmings with the group.

The other titles on the list are:

• La mirada by Georges Simenon
• El mar by Blai Bonet
• Nubosidad variable by Carmen Martín Gaite

Youth club meets the author

The youth reading club for readers aged 12 to 16 also continues. Its first meeting is on 1 October at 17:15 and will focus on El clam de la lloba by Maite Carranza.

A second session follows on 29 October. Carranza will attend in person to share her impressions and explore the novel's themes with the young readers.

Copies of all the books on the programme are available to borrow at the library.

Why It Matters

The programme shows how much a small-town library can offer beyond lending books. With clubs for comics, fiction, theatre and teenagers, there is something for most ages. Author visits, including a writer from the Empordà, give local readers direct contact with people they might otherwise only read about. For families who have just dealt with the school book grants, the youth club offers a free way to keep teenagers reading outside class.

This fits a wider pattern of community activities in Castelló d'Empúries, such as the recent intergenerational escape room. The long life of the comics club and the ten-year run of Llegir el Teatre suggest these groups have a loyal following.

The clubs work mainly in Catalan and Spanish, which may be a barrier for some international residents. However, they could also be a good setting for practising the languages. It is worth watching how quickly places on the Barcelona theatre trips fill up, since numbers are limited.