As you walk through the neighbourhood El Raval, once you reach Carrer dels Tallers 45, you must pay attention in order to see the commemorative sign dedicated to the famous writer Roberto Bolaño. You will be standing outside his own residence in Barcelona. As you go on your way, once you reach Ramblas 115, you’ll find the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona. It was there that in 1937 a soldier called Eric Arthur Blar, also known as George Orwell, spent three days on the rooftop reading and imagining his most famous novel, 1984. Once you’ve walked through the Gothic neighbourhood you will reach Santa Maria del Mar church, the main setting of Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s novel, The Shadow of the Wind.
In fact, during the whole tour through downtown Barcelona, you will walk the streets that housed and inspired great authors, from Jean Genet and Sagarra, to Rodoreda and Vázquez Montalbán. Not to mention beloved latinamerican authors Gabriel Garcia Márquez and of course Roberto Bolaño. Nowadays, there is a Literary Map of Barcelona which puts together over 300 literary facts, such as the ones previously mentioned. It is possible to obtain a physical copy of the map at any of Barcelona’s public libraries. A digital copy is available at https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/ciutatdelaliteratura/es/mapa-literario.
Walk through Barcelona in search of the corners, squares and streets where these authors spent their days and found their inspiration. Try The Shadow of the Wind tour to expersience the settings of the novel in person (https://www.catalunya.com/ruta-la-sombra-del-viento-24-1-22?language=es). Barcelona’s literary tour includes over 100 books set in this wonderful city. (https://www.estudio34.com/ruta-literaria-barcelona/).
