(There are six posts with news about this project. Click updates to read them.)
This is a crucial moment in Catalonia's history. Thanks to the massive demonstration on Catalonia's National Day, September 11, 2012 in favor of independence, and to the parliamentary elections in November, the world is paying attention—more than ever before—to what's going on in Catalonia. Catalonia has been in the press more frequently than ever in the last few months. But too often, the image portrayed is one of selfishness and debt. We know that there's a lot more to the story.
Instead of complaining about slanted, superficial articles, we think that now that the world is listening, it's a good time to offer an alternative: a book titled, “What's Up With Catalonia?” with 35 essays on Catalonia's economy, history, language, culture, and political situation, written by experts, for a non-Catalan audience, and translated into English. We'll explain just what's going on in Catalonia.
It's not that the outside world can solve Catalonia's problems or that Catalonia should depend on outside help in its struggle for independence. We tried that before. Nevertheless, it's undeniably better if the world knows what's happening in Catalonia: there will be better understanding and more sympathy if they know that it's a lot more than just a squabble over taxes. This book is our opportunity to explain our side of the story.
500 COPIES OF THE PRINT BOOK TO LIBRARIES, NEWSPAPERS, AND POLITICIANS
Making a book is easy. Getting people to read it is less so. We need your help. We want to kickstart the distribution of this book by sending 500 copies to libraries, newspapers, and politicians all over the world. We want to get the book into people's hands.
HELP US DISTRIBUTE THE BOOK
You can help, by financing the distribution of one or more books. We have made the price low enough so that you can buy a copy for yourself and another for a friend—or for a library on the other side of the world.
SEND A BOOK TO BARACK OBAMA!
We would love it if you would help us think of who to send the book to. If you've got a friend abroad, we can send them a copy. If you've got a contact at a newspaper in Australia, tell us, and we'll send them a book. Do you want us to send a copy to Barack Obama? We will. (If more than one person chooses the same recipient, we'll let you choose someone new, or if you prefer, send it to someone on our list.)
THE CONTRIBUTORS
The authors of the essays are an incredibly illustrious group of professors, journalists, politicians, and professionals. They are:
Ignasi Aragay, Laia Balcells, Germà Bel, Laura Borràs, Alfred Bosch, Núria Bosch, Roger Buch, Joan Canadell, Pau Canaleta, Salvador Cardús, Muriel Casals, Andreu Domingo, Carme Forcadell, Josep Maria Ganyet, Salvador Garcia-Ruiz, Àlex Hinojo, Edward Hugh, Oriol Junqueras, M. Carme Junyent, J.C. Major, Pere Mayans Balcells, Josep Maria Muñoz, Mary Ann Newman, Elisenda Paluzie, Vicent Partal, Cristina Perales, Eva Piquer, Enric Pujol, Marta Rovira Martínez, Vicent Sanchís, Xavier Solano, Miquel Strubell, Matthew Tree, Ramon Tremosa, i F. Xavier Vila
CATALONIA PRESS
Catalonia Press is a small publishing house dedicated to explaining Catalonia's story to the world, headed by Liz Castro, writer, editor, and expert in the technology of creating both traditional and digital books. What's Going On In Catalonia? is the publisher's fourth book, preceded by Barcelona, Catalonia: A View from the Inside by Matthew Tree, What Catalans Want: Catalonia Next State in Europe by Toni Strubell and Lluís Brunet, and The Best of Barcelona INK, edited by Ryan Chandler.
CONTACT
Apart from Catalonia Press' website we also are on Facebook and Twitter. In addition, Liz writes and/or manages News Catalonia, with news about Catalonia in English, Pigs, Gourds, and Wikis, her blog about digital publishing, Des del Massachusetts de veritat, her blog in Catalan, and the website for her own computer books.
74 comments
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crawling
Hola Lizt. Perdona que em llevi tard. Soc un dels mecenes de 10 euros. La copia fisica del llibre es recull a la botiga Vilaweb de Barcelona? Encara es pot fer? Estic vivint als Estats Units i voldria recollir el llibre per Nadal. Gracies!
dotcoma
Is the book ready to pick up for those who bought (contributed to) it? Where? If not, when do you expect it to be ready? Thanks.
Liz Castro
Author
Em pots fer una comanda directament a mi i jo els hi faig arribar. Segons la quantitat també puc oferir-te un descompte. Em pots escriure a [email protected]
I gràcies!
Zeezoo
Vaig viure als Estats Units fa uns 30 anys i en aquella època costava força fer-los entrendre la qüestió catalana. M'agradaria comprar jo el llibre, però que els destinataris directes fossin ells. Com s'ha de fer això?
Liz Castro
Author
Sí. Hi estic mirant, però encara trigarà. Si em vols deixar el mail, t'avisaré ([email protected]).
Merci!
Maria Glòria
Moltes gràcies per la teva gran iniciativa.
Tinc contactes a Alemanya, Itàlia i França, però els llibres haurien de ser en els idiomes d'aquests països,
serà dificil??
Liz Castro
Author
És complicat aquest assumpte. Estic d'acord amb tu que estaria bé que tothom sapigués a qui va cada llibre. Però, no tothom vol que el seu destinatari sigui publicat, per raons varies. Jo publicaré tanta informació com pugui, sense violar la confiança de ningú. I també estic fent un mapa (http://goo.gl/maps/2AgpP) on es pot veure almenys les poblacions a on ha arribat.
Eric Boixeda
Felicitats per l'éxit!
Publicareu una llista de la gent a qui s'envia el llibre (o almenys les personalitats públiques com presidents, eurodiputats), ja sigui a la web o per mail als mecenes? Així podrien sortir idees de a qui enviar-lo
Liz Castro
Author
Encara estàs a temps :) O pots encarregar llibres o pots fer una donació, com ho vegis millor. Detalls aquí: http://www.cataloniapress.com/2013/03/whats-up-with-catalonia-is-out.html (cap al final).
Laia Ventura
Liz, entenc que ja no es poden fer més aportacions. És així? Una llàstima perquè me m'acabo d'assabentar... Sort!