STORY: Spain's Barcelona celebrates day of books, love
SHOOTING TIME: April 23, 2024
DATELINE: April 24, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:41
LOCATION: BARCELONA, Spain
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the festival
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Spanish): LUCIA LEANDRO, Bookstall manager
3. various of visitors
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Catalan): IVAN FERNANDEZ, Barcelona resident
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Catalan): SONIA DEL CAMPO, Writer

STORYLINE:

On Tuesday, thousands of people flocked to the streets of Barcelona for a local festival that celebrates reading and love.
   
Local residents and visitors from around the world strolled in the spring sunshine, browsing the many book and rose stalls set up for the traditional feast day of Saint George (Sant Jordi in Catalan).
   
The celebration has its origins in the legend of Saint George, a Roman knight who, it is said, saved a princess from the clutches of a dragon from whose blood a red rosebush sprouted.
   
The custom of exchanging roses and books was born about six centuries ago in Catalonia, the region where Barcelona is located. It is a show of affection equivalent to Valentine's Day, but it is also popular among family and friends.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (Spanish): LUCIA LEANDRO, Bookstall manager
"For the book ecosystem here, the Day of the Book is fundamental and the chance for independent booksellers like us to go onto the streets and meet people makes it the most important day of the year."
   
SOUNDBITE 2 (Catalan): IVAN FERNANDEZ, Barcelona resident
"Everyone's outside, walking around the city streets, browsing books. And it's true that we buy a lot of books, but we also have to read them."

The holiday is also an opportunity for local writers to boost their sales by signing books at the stands.
   
Writer Sonia del Campo signed Spanish and Catalan versions of her book, "Vidas," which delves into topics such as sexist violence and immigration through the stories of ten women.
   
SOUNDBITE 3 (Catalan): SONIA DEL CAMPO, Writer
"In other places, there are book fairs that can last a week. Here, it is one day and it's the day that all the writers are outside signing their books."
   
Proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1995, World Book and Copyright Day is celebrated every April 23 because it was on this day in 1616 that the three great writers, William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died.
   
The theme chosen for this year is "Read Your Way," highlighting the importance of developing a love of reading.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Barcelona, Spain.
(XHTV)