Bookshops
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Altaïr
Divided into sections by continent, Altaïr could instill wanderlust in the most adamant homebird. With in-depth guidebooks for every country, elaborate globes, fiction and non-fiction travel literature, and a cafe downstairs that serves international cuisine, the shop is tailor-made for discovery. Maps from bygone eras adorn the walls above the bookshelves, tempting browsers to discover the most ancient corners of the world. Take a seat in one of the vintage armchairs to plan your next trip or enlist the help of Altaïr Viatges, an in-house travel agency at the rear of the shop.
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Come In
Come In has perhaps the most comprehensive selection of English-language books in the city. Offering familiar titles, expert advice from a passionate team and an atmosphere reminiscent of your favourite bookshop back home, it’s rare to leave here empty-handed. One side of the store is devoted to books of every genre, from biographies and classics to the latest releases, alongside children’s books, colourful displays of toys, board games and audiobooks. The other half of the shop is filled with everything you need to teach or learn English, including phrase books, graded readers and exam preparation guides, as well as more limited materials for studying French, German, Spanish and Catalan.
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Documenta
Drawing the attention of passers-by with an interesting mix of art and philosophy, Documenta's window display features the portrait of a man and a French quote: ‘Le désir nous force à aimer ce qui va nous faire souffrir’ (meaning ‘desire makes us like that which makes us suffer’). Avoiding the run-of-the-mill bookshop vibe, it focuses on art, literature and human sciences. In the bright and uncluttered interior, titles cover the finer points of anthropology, philosophy and psychology, alongside fiction and poetry in English, Spanish and Catalan. The space also hosts experts who run weekly sessions that delve deep into the literary world, from Dante’s Inferno to Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
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Gigamesh
Founder Alejo Cuervo named his bookshop in honour of the Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Mesopotamian poem considered to be the oldest surviving literary text. The shop is devoted to the wonderful world of fantasy and science fiction, with books as well as games, magazines, comics and figurines. The shelves are organised into cleverly referenced sections, such as ‘The desolation of Smaug’ and ‘Memory Alpha’, rather than by author or title, which is a delight to customers in the know. The English section is also extensive, with a whole wall dedicated to paperbacks. The bookshop was originally set up to support Cuervo’s publishing house of the same name. From its beginnings as a small publisher in the Eighties struggling to make ends meet, Gigamesh’s fortunes turned around when it won the contract to become the sole Spanish publisher of George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones (1996) and the rest of the fantasy novels from the A Song of Ice and Fire series. In an interview with El Mundo, Cuervo said drawing up the contract to print the series was “the best $5,000 spent in the history of the genre in Spain”.
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Hibernian Books
In May 2004, partners Viky Ferré and Ray Brock shipped 30,000 books from Dublin to Barcelona to fill a gap in the city’s English-language book market. This second-hand haven in Gràcia is full of surprises; perusing the shelves, you never know what you might find. The categories are well organised, from antiques to nutrition, including small sections in French, German and Dutch, and an eclectic collection of texts in other languages. If you’re looking for a timeless classic or a new release, there is a limited selection of these at the front of the store. Hibernian Books is an expat haunt as much as a place to get your English literature fix, with a trade system in place that encourages readers to exchange pre-loved books for different titles.
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Llibreria Antiquària Farré
Wooden ladders slide along shelves lined with waxy, leather-bound covers that make up the city’s most comprehensive collection of rare and out-of-print books. Llibreria Antiquària Farré, with its signature smell of old volumes, is the bricks and mortar of the Farré network of antique document enthusiasts, Coleccionismo Pol Farré. First editions and enticing oddities are commonplace in this shrine to bibliophilia. Browsing the stacks, you can uncover books on subjects ranging from the history of viticulture in France to Catalan grammar, each in its original language. While some books have a hefty price tag, it’s possible to take home a piece of literary history for as little as €20.