Catalònia
(Updated 08/10/2024)
In 1924, Antoni López-Llausàs founded the bookshop, Llibreria Catalònia, along with Manuel Borràs de Quadras and Josep Maria Cruzet. The next year he acquired Editorial Catalana and combined the bookseller’s with the publishing house under the same name, Catalònia. The bookshop prioritised Catalan-language publications and supported and closely tracked the activities of Editorial Selecta publishing house.
+ informationSearch collections
Josep M. Cruzet collection. Editorial Catalònia at the Biblioteca de Catalunya
The Biblioteca de Catalunya purchased this collection from Sebastià Borràs, one of the directors of Llibreria Catalònia. It contains both professional documentation from Llibreria Catalònia-Casa del Libro, Editorial Selecta and Editorial Aedos, and personal documentation. It is stored in 105 boxes which contain reports, bylaws, account books, tributes to authors, documents on collections, translations, censorship papers, literary prizes, etc.
Among the different boxes, there is a collection of press cuttings that illustrate the publishing house’s history, which was closely associated with the bookshop of the same name.
More information and documentation on the works produced
Catalogue of publishers of Catalonia until 1939 (Biblioteca de Catalunya)
Historical photographs of Llibreria Catalònia
Josep Ma. Cruzet i la seva obra. Barcelona: Selecta, 1964.
Pineda, Marçal. Veinticinco años de librería. Barcelona : Casa del Libro, 1949.
Tebè, Tomàs; López Llausàs, Antoni; Borràs de Quadras, Manuel. Els cinquanta anys de la Llibreria Catalònia: records i impressions. Barcelona: Editorial Selecta, 1974.
Catalònia
Description
In 1924, Antoni López-Llausàs founded the bookshop, Llibreria Catalònia, along with Manuel Borràs de Quadras and Josep Maria Cruzet. The next year he acquired Editorial Catalana and combined the bookseller’s with the publishing house under the same name, Catalònia. The bookshop prioritised Catalan-language publications and supported and closely tracked the activities of Editorial Selecta publishing house.
After the war and the exile of López-Llausàs, the establishment’s name was changed to Casa del Libro, and it was unable to bring back its original name until 1976. During this period of time, the bookshop worked to become a hub of Catalan culture, especially literature, and it hosted presentations and activities. A fire in 1979 forced it to close for three years, but it kept selling books under a marquee located on Passeig de Gràcia.
The bookshop was purchased by the Bertelsmann Group in 1998 and later, in 2002, by Llibreria Robafaves. It closed permanently in early January 2013.
However, the publishing house continued to issue publications, sometimes in conjunction with Editorial Selecta. In 1986, Editorial Catalònia merged with Selecta, the latter becoming yet another section in the range of products purveyed by Catalònia. Finally, in 1998 the publishing house was purchased by Grup 62, and today it remains a separate imprint within this group.
General publishing imprint
Publishing imprint in conjunction with Selecta
Catalònia
Authors
Catalònia published both local authors and international authors translated into Catalan.
Alsina i Bofill, Josep, 1904-1993
Artís-Gener, Avel·lí, 1912-2000
Baudelaire, Charles, 1821-1867
Bellmunt, Domènec de, 1903-1993
Benoît, Pierre, 1886-1962
Capdevila, Lluís, 1895-1980
Carner, Josep, 1884-1970
Crexells, Joan, 1896-1926
Deledda, Grazia, 1871-1936
Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870
Dostoievski, Fiodor, 1821-1881
Erckmann-Chatrian (1822-1899)
Espriu, Salvador, 1913-1985
Estelrich, Joan, 1896-1958
Fabra, Pompeu, 1868-1948
Folch i Torres, Joaquim, 1886-1963
Folch i Torres, Josep Maria, 1880-1950
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832
Gorki, Maksim, 1868-1936
Hugo, Victor, 1802-1885
Louÿs, Pierre, 1870-1925
Marín i Corbera, Martí, 1965-
Merli, Joan, 1901-1995
Molière, 1622-1673
Nicolau d'Olwer, Lluís, 1888-1961
Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809-1849
Rusiñol, Santiago, 1861-1931
Sagarra, Josep M. de, 1894-1961
Soldevila, Carles, 1892-1967
Suriñach Senties, R. (Ramon), 1881-1964
Tolstoi, Lev, graf, 1828-1910
Voltaire, 1694-1778
Catalònia
Illustrators and photographers
Even though illustrations were not a noteworthy feature of the works published by Catalònia, some illustrators do stand out, including Joan Junceda and Alfons Ribera.
Illustration by Alfons Ribera inside the work by Folch i Torres, Josep Maria. L’Ànima en camí. Barcelona: Llibreria Catalònia: 1934 (Quaderns literaris; 6), p. 15.
Catalònia
Collections
Most of Catalònia’s collections are literary or contain biographical or historical essays. Biblioteca Catalònia and Quaderns Literaris were its most prominent collections.
Catalònia
Magazines
- Agricultura i Ramaderia (1917-1936)
- Economia i finances (1917-1936)
- D’ací i d’allà (1918-1936) (Free access to ARCA)
- Imatges (1930) (Free access to ARCA)
- El Be Negre (1931-1936) (Free access to ARCA)
Catalònia
Outstanding works
- Fabra, Pompeu. Diccionari General de la llengua Catalana. Barcelona: Llibreria Catalònia, 1932
Cover of the work: Fabra, Pompeu. Diccionari General de la llengua Catalana. Barcelona: Llibreria Catalònia, 1932.
- Nicolau d'Olwer, Lluís. Paisatges de la nostra història : assaigs i notes de literatura catalana. Barcelona: Catalònia, 1929 (Biblioteca Llibertat)
- Soldevila, Carles. Rovira i Virgili. Barcelona: Llibreria Catalònia, 1925 (Quaderns blaus)
Cover, title page and page 24 of the work: Soldevila, Carles. Rovira i Virgili. Barcelona: Llibreria Catalònia, 1925 (Quaderns blaus).
- Tolstoi, Lev. Abecedari de Tolstoi: primer llibre de lectura per a ús de les famílies i de les escoles. Barcelona: Llibreria Catalònia, 1928.
- Folch i Torres, Josep Maria. L’Ànima en camí. Barcelona: Llibreria Catalònia, 1934 (Quaderns literaris; 6)
Cover of the work by Folch i Torres, Josep Maria. L’Ànima en camí. Barcelona: Llibreria Catalònia: 1934 (Quaderns literaris; 6)
Title page and cover of the work by Tolstoi, Lev. Abecedari de Tolstoi: primer llibre de lectura per a ús de les famílies i de les escoles. Barcelona: Llibreria Catalònia, 1928.
