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1st edition of the Book Music Festival at the Garrotxa Museum in Olot
This past October 17th and 18th, the first edition of the Book Music Festival was held at the Garrotxa Museum in Olot.
This first musical literature fair has turned the Museu de la Garrotxa into a meeting point for books, authors, publishers, bookstores, music and activities linked to the world of music and culture.
An initiative, framed within the events of the Fira de Sant Lluc, offered book presentations, talks, exhibitions, special sessions and concerts throughout Saturday and Sunday.
Among the outstanding proposals have been presentations of titles such as La cósmica del caos , Rock i altres ritmes , Per sempre, mai més , Dylan i el cinema or Pau Riba en 20 cançons , as well as other musical performances.
It must be said that the bad weather has conditioned the atmosphere of the weekend and the influx at times, but it has not prevented the festival from developing normally or from this first experience ending with good feelings.
Interview with the directors of the Book Music Festival, Cristina de Fortuny and Jaume Massaguer
What are the main new features of this edition?
This festival has been held in Barcelona so far (we have held two editions), and it must be said that we are already preparing the third edition! The novelty is that this year we are making our first edition in Girona and we are doing it in Olot, a city that we consider to be both literary and musical and cultural.
How would you define the Book Music Festival?
It is the place where literature, musical photography and live music join hands. With this festival we invite visitors to immerse themselves in a world of letters, notes and melodies, and to discover all the activities and proposals that offer a unique experience to all who come, through words and chords.
How would you rate this first edition in Olot?
Very positive, since we have had the support of the Olot City Council, and it must be said that this activity is framed within the events of the Fira de Sant Lluc. From the organization we have found the necessary synergies for the project in the Olot City Council and the Girona Provincial Council, as well as in the Generalitat de Catalunya, through the ICEC (Catalan Institute of Cultural Companies), because all these institutions —and the people who intervene in them— are a vital tool and a cultural engine in our country.
What do you think a festival of these characteristics brings to the city of Olot?
Above all, to excite the public of Olot with this cultural cocktail that is literature and music, which comes full of activities, photography exhibitions, talks, presentations of musical books, meet & greets with authors, concerts, etc. We also consider that it brings a different and complementary cultural proposal to those that already exist. Musical literature has good readers and fans, but often does not have a specific space. In short, we want Olot to become a meeting point for all these people.
What do you think has been the return of the authors, musicians and professionals who have participated?
The feelings are good. Being able to share space between authors, publishers, bookstores, musicians and the public is precisely one of the objectives of the festival. With this first edition we have been able to detect aspects that we can improve for the future.
Do you think the weather has been one of the main drawbacks?
Yes, the bad weather has affected us a lot this weekend, especially in terms of the movement of the public. However, the people who have come have done so with great interest, and this encourages us to continue working on this project.
And are you already thinking about a second edition in the province of Girona?
Yes, the intention is to give continuity to the project. Now it's time to calmly take stock, listen to all the parties involved and start thinking about the next edition.
How did the idea of creating a musical literature fair come about?
The idea came from the curator of the Book Music Festival, Ramon Moreno, as we agree with him in the idea of promoting music journalism, because it has a very necessary function in our society. According to Moreno, "the proliferation of content on the networks has not eliminated the need for verified information, criteria and analytical capacity."
We have realized that it is essential to have journalists who investigate, organize information and relate music to the cultural, social and industrial context in which it is produced.
In Moreno's words, "the Olot edition was born with the desire to bring musical literature closer to new audiences and to promote direct contact between the people who write, edit and read these books. It must be said that a good part of the programming will be carried out by journalists, writers and musicians from our regions, a fact that highlights and vindicates the good quality of Catalan music journalism."
How many publishers are participating in this edition?
About fifteen publishing houses, which are: Drac, Llibreria Isop, La 22, Enderrock Llibres, La Siglatana, El Rantell, Edicions Cal·lígraf, Lenoir, Contra, Sílex, 66 RPM, Blum Editorial, Jordi Padrós, Book Music Festival and Bonart.
More than 25 professionals are participating, all of whom are linked to the literary and musical sector in one way or another.
And the motto of the Olot Musical Book Fair for Sant Lluc 2026 was "Tell me what you read and I'll tell you what you dance."
Also in this edition, the new website was presented, which will be dedicated to music books and everything related to them.
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