The Nollegiu team has resurrected the book sector in Palafrugell and since a week ago he has started walking again in the old Mediterranean. Coinciding with Resurrection Sunday, they have made the official premiere and despite the fact that for seven days now they have had a constant flow of visits and congratulations for the initiative, Carrer Tarongeta de Palafrugell, number 14, was today at noon a constant throng of people who wanted to see the new establishment. And many have left loaded with books, as in an anticipated St. George’s day.
Xavier Vidal, owner of Nollegiu, confesses that they have experienced this adventure with a mixture of nerves and excitement. Comment that the reopening could take place earlier, because when he closed Mediterrània, Joan Aliu called booksellers from the region and outside to ask if anyone would be interested in being in charge of the bookshop, but at that time Vidal dismissed it because he was not interested. Aliu was then thinking about retirement, but he did not want to close the business. The business passed into the hands of the owner of Llibreria Vitel·la de l’Escala, Gemma Garcia, who maintained the premises for several years.
After the closure of the Vitel·la Espai Fòrum, Joan Aliu’s family asked him again Xavi Vidal if he knew someone who could reopen the doors of the establishment. That’s when he committed to finding someone who could help reopen it. I this someone ended up being himself. After seeing the premises, the surroundings and knowing that the business could be sustained with sales, he decided to take the plunge.
There is no bar now
Although Xavier Vidal maintains the spirit of the Mediterranean and Vitel·la Espai Fòrumthere is a substantial change: there is no bar. “People can go to the bar in the square and get coffee and croissants, I’ll put the napkins on. But I don’t know about bars”, he says.
This also has its advantages. All the space of the ancient Mediterranean now it’s full of books. And tables to be able to read. “There is a room of 50 square meters for children’s and youth books and a space of more than 200 square meters for the rest.” And even more. Having a bar license, they can put a terrace at the entrance. The owner warns: “we will not put a terrace, but we will put chairs so that people who want to come and read and sit in the fresh air can do so”, he says.
Cultural contacts
Xavier Vidal has maintained contact with the municipal library, the Josep Pla Foundation and other entities. They will organize presentations, debates with authors and cultural exchanges. “We will get as far as we can, we are not here to change anything or to do it better than anyone else. On the contrary, we have come to learn from the people of Palafrugell and try to provide a service that we know is necessary and that many people want”, says Vidal.
Nollegiu has two bookstores in Barcelona, one in Poblenou and another in Clot. The first opened its doors in 2013 with the aim of promoting reading and culture. They organize numerous cultural events. For example, presentations, music, theater and performances. Nollegiu Mediterrània will be the first bookstore to open outside the Catalan capital. The first presentation of a book will be on May 20 about the paths of the Costa Brava. In addition, they want to have a stop at Plaça de Can Mario for Sant Jordi.