Hundreds of customers queue at the Sant Jordi bookstore in Barcelona after the death of the owner and the threat of closure

On rare occasions a business becomes the symbol of cultural heritage threatened by, once again, gentrification. This week, the Sant Jordi bookstore on Ferran Street in Barcelona has become that example and the attempt orchestrated by hundreds of residents so that Barcelona does not lose the identity of what it once was. On December 10, Josep Morales Monroig, the owner of this picturesque bookstore – with nineteenth-century furniture – died at the age of 58, on which copies of art, photography, illustration, design, architecture, literature and philosophy rest. Next February the rent expires on this business surrounded by souvenir shops, 24-hour supermarkets and fast food franchises. Someone on social networks warned of Morales' death and the precarious situation of the bookstore and, since last Monday, the lines of people shopping in Sant Jordi stand out on a Ferran street full of tourists. The buyers, all residents of the city, assure that by purchasing books they pay a last tribute to Sant Jordi and, in the process, protest the precarious situation that the businesses that serve as an emblem of the city are going through. “People are showing us their affection, your solidarity and love for the bookstore. Word has spread that we are in a delicate situation after Josep's death and because the rental contract expires in February. Citizens have come running to show their support and their desire for Sant Jordi to continue,” summarizes Morales' widow, Cristina Riera. She reveals that it all started on Sunday when some friends went to the bookstore and made some gift packages and “word spread virally” to the point of collapsing the business.Queues of citizens at the Sant Jordi bookstore, Gianluca Battista “We needed to sell as many books as possible since if the bookstore finally ends up disappearing, we don't want to face a bigger problem,” defends Riera. “Our wish is for the store to continue on Ferran Street but I cannot sustain the business, I would like someone to take over,” he says. The premises are for rent and, in 2014, the property offered that the monthly payment would go from “ “800 euros a month to 8,000 euros.” It was then that Morales asked for help and the City Council offered the possibility of moving the business to Robadors Street. After 2014, came the pandemic and the bookseller's long illness. The bookstore ownership maintained the old price year after year but has now announced that they will no longer be renewing in February. “It is unfeasible to pay 8,000 euros in rent,” laments Riera. “La Sant Jordi and the Fine Arts space are the only real venues left on Ferran Street. We will fight to keep it here,” he defends. The bookstore has never been as full as this week. They have extended hours because they can't cope inside. “It's as if it were a continuous Sant Jordi day. “It is the most beautiful tribute that can be given to Josep,” maintains Riera. Inside the bookstore there were gatherings, intimacy, it was a “warm and welcoming” place. “It is one of those places that the city needs,” defends Riera. “We need this support that customers give us because we have to preserve Sant Jordi and so that someone can continue with the business,” he announces. Plan B to move the bookstore to Robadors Street is still possible but the “best tribute” is to keep it on Ferran Street, argues Riera. The queues continue on Sant Jordi. “We come to support because in the end, in this city, there will only be supermarkets and Starbucks,” says Ana, who has been waiting in line for more than 15 minutes. There is no room for a pin inside the bookcase. “We are selling so much that even copies that my husband had kept for years are appearing,” says Riera. The bookstore was opened in 1983 by Morales's father. This week, more than ever, symbolizes the fight against gentrification and the loss of identity of the neighborhood. On Wednesday, the mayor of Barcelona himself, Jaume Collboni, went to the bookstore to worry about the situation. He bought an old catalog from the Parés Gallery. “Josep would be excited about this Christmas story that the bookstore is experiencing.”