Comics don’t take center stage at Sant Jordi, but there are places where they do set the pace. In Arc de Triomf, among the stalls stretching towards Passeig de Lluís Companys and the beginning of Passeig de Sant Joan, one of those spaces is concentrated where the type of books and the public’s profile draw a different scene within the traditional April 23rd celebration in Barcelona.
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In this section, the tables are dominated by manga, fantasy, and young adult literature, with illustrated covers and complete collections occupying a good part of the space. It’s not so much a place to discover what’s new as it is to look for something specific: well-known sagas, pending volumes, or titles recommended among friends. “We come here with an idea of what we want to take, but we let ourselves be surprised,” explains Núria, one of the visitors, while reviewing several books with her group. Manga series like One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen or Chainsaw Man appear in as many conversations as stalls, along with re-editions and graphic novels that attract readers who already arrive with a clear idea of what they are looking for.
For years, this area has consolidated itself as one of the spaces where the so-called “geek triangle” is concentrated. Here it is common to find industry novelties, highly sought-after titles, or others that do not appear in the more general sections. The public also changes: readers who follow collections and move with clear references. It is not uncommon to see t-shirts and bags inspired by series like ‘The Lord of the Rings’ or even people in costume, in a scene that mixes shopping, hobby, and shared culture.
The activity at the stalls
This Sant Jordi, the atmosphere has a common enemy: the wind. The stalls fill up, empty, and fill up again in a matter of minutes, in a dynamic that continues throughout the morning.
At one of the ‘Rosistirem’ rose stalls, Magali attends tirelessly. She barely looks up while arranging bouquets. “We haven’t stopped all morning; people here come straight for their comic, but don’t think they forget about the rose,” she explains. Around her, the scene repeats: quick purchase and back to the promenade, where the books are just a few meters away.
That flow connects directly with the literature stalls. At one of them, the writer Josep Francesc Delgado takes his time with each reader. He doesn’t sign quickly. He talks. He opens the book, shows illustrations, and explains the origin of the story that gives his own book ‘The Legend of Sant Jordi’ its name.
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In his case, the story didn’t start with a publisher, but at home. He wrote it for his mother, based on the version of the legend she used to tell him, which had previously been passed down by his grandmother. It wasn’t a project intended for publication, but something more intimate. “I wrote it for her and read it to her before she died,” he says. “It was a way to give back that story I had heard so many times.”
For a while, the text remained stored. “I wasn’t in the mood to publish anything, I didn’t feel like it,” he recalls. The situation changed when an editor who spent an afternoon at his house asked him if he had written anything recently. “I told him no, but then I remembered this text and showed it to him.” From that moment on, the story began to take shape as a book. Although for him, it is clearly a gift for his mother.
On a street, three boys sell roses dressed as a dragon, a knight, and a princess. People stop, smile, and take out their phones. Some take photos, others comment on the scene as they pass, and the protagonists continue offering roses while laughing.
There are no long queues or massive signings. Nor does it seem necessary. This section works differently, more specifically, with an audience that knows what they are looking for and moves naturally among the stalls.
At the end of the day, there isn’t just one image, but many small ones that overlap: hands quickly turning pages, conversations interrupted because someone has found exactly what they were looking for, bags that also end up collecting books, with manga volumes peeking out from among them.
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