Àurea Juan Perelló going up and down, talking to booksellers, publishers, distributors, and writers in the city, without stopping for a moment and without losing the necessary optimism to continue betting on the written word in this cultural wasteland, is a classic image of Barcelona's bibliophile scene.
And it is, of course, also a matter of pure vocation: "We could say that my hobby is my profession, and I feel very fortunate for it," she explains, with a vermouth in hand, letting the radio play in the background, the current co-director of the Finestres bookstore and enthusiastic activist of the bookselling business.
--- And has this book thing been with you all your life?
--- The truth is that I studied Art History although, very soon, at university, I started working as a bookseller, which is what I think defines me. Yes, my profession defines me, and I wouldn't change anything I've done in this regard!
After finishing her studies, she had time to complete a postgraduate degree in Philosophy and Aesthetics of Contemporary Art at the Miró Foundation, to work as an independent curator in Barcelona's civic centers, and even to coordinate the artistic project Propostes d'Art a les Instal·lacions, at the Picornell swimming pools. But, by then, she had already started working at the Proa bookstore, of the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, and the bibliographic venom was already running through her bloodstream. The step was about to be taken.
"What I am most proud of is having had the courage to professionally leave the art world to bet on the book world. Of having been tenacious, restless, and curious and betting on dedicating myself to what I do," she states with satisfaction.
Life among volumes
Àurea Juan Perelló's vital comfort zone is defined and delimited among books, booksellers, and readers. Since 2005, she has worked in various bookstores and publishing houses such as Alibri, Bertrand, Casa del Libro, Gremi de Llibreters de Catalunya, Nórdica Libros, and Editorial Base. All of which has led her to co-direct Finestres, the ambitious bookstore promoted by businessman Sergi Ferrer-Salat.
"I believe that bookstores are the best place to spend time and get lost. They are also indispensable places in any city for it to remain alive."
--- And speaking of cities, what is your relationship with this Barcelona, which you live so deeply?
--- Well, like the one you can have with family or someone very close: sometimes you adore it and sometimes you detest it. I feel very, very connected to the city; it's part of my identity. It's a shame about the dirt, the noise, and, above all, the lack of green, because no matter how much they insist on making us believe that this is a green city, it is not.
A legendary Barcelona
Her love for the city translates into an ear-to-ear smile when Àurea is asked about a favorite local legend or historical episode: "I am a big fan of collecting anecdotes and, above all, gruesome legends of the city. My two favorites can even be found in book format, as they have been transmitted through literature. The first is El llibreter assassí de Barcelona (The Assassin Bookseller of Barcelona), which has reached us through different authors such as Gustave Flaubert, Charles Nodier, and Miquel Planas. The legend tells of the madness that invades a bookseller in Barcelona's Call due to his fatal attraction to the books he treasured."
--- And the second?
--- "The second one I love was written by Jaume Piquet in 1886, who adapted it into a play ---the parishioner's metallic blue eyes widen, which, depending on the light, can take on shades of vivid green, savoring each word of the narration---. It is about La monja enterrada en vida (The Nun Buried Alive) and is a legend with Don Juanesque echoes in which a young woman is forced by her father to enter a convent to prevent her from marrying a liberal. To appropriate the novice's dowry, the priest and the abbess of the convent bury her alive. It seems it was very successful in 19th-century urban Barcelona."
Having finished her vermouth and ordered the next, Àurea Juan Perelló does not lose her frank smile, as she searches for another city mythology to narrate at the bar, to the delight of a crowd that gathers around her and that, when she leaves, with a bit of luck, will soon rush to the nearest bookstore.
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