We couldn't be more pleased to announce that one of our hot titles of the season is a current #1 Catalan fiction bestseller! At Pontas we've been raving about The Bookshop of Idle Hours (La llibreria de les hores mortes) since its publication in May by Columna/Grup62 and this achievement is a testament to the novel's moving and exquisite quality. At 63 years old, Catalan author Laura Autonell has penned a love letter to bookstores, found community and starting over.
The novel is set against the vibrant backdrop of the Raval neighborhood of Barcelona and makes us think of works by David Foenkinos, Nora Ephron and book-related stories like The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald or The Reading Group by Elisabeth Noble. Galician-language rights have been sold to Kalandraka and all other translation and audiovisual rights are currently available. Please note that translation grants are available from the Institut Ramon Llull.
Etna seemed to have everything: privilege, stability, and a clear sense of who she was. But when her father dies, a carefully guarded secret comes to light, one that shatters her identity and leaves her suddenly disinherited, betrayed, and alone.
With her world turned upside down, Etna is forced to start over. She moves to Barcelona’s Raval neighborhood, into the modest apartment her mother once called home. There, among forgotten belongings and lingering memories, she discovers not only a hidden past but also a long-abandoned family space: a former tavern. Inspired by her mother’s unfinished dream, Etna decides to transform the space into a bookstore. As she rebuilds her life from scratch, she finds unexpected support in the vibrant and diverse community around her: neighbors who become allies, strangers who become friends, and books that offer both refuge and purpose.
From literary gatherings that bring together people from vastly different walks of life to the quiet resilience requireId to keep the doors open, Etna’s journey is one of courage, reinvention, and connection. Along the way, she encounters stories of love, hardship, identity, and belonging.
But the past is never truly gone. As buried truths begin to resurface, Etna must confront not only where she comes from, but who she wants to become.
For more information about this title please contact Anna Soler-Pont (anna[at]pontas-agency.com).