Authors with Rights on World Book Day: A Journey into the Heart of Literature and Copyright

23 April, 2025
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Intellectual property
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Lucas Charnet


Every April 23rd, the streets of Catalonia fill with roses and books in a unique celebration that blends culture, history, and affection: it’s Sant Jordi’s Day, a centuries-old tradition that has also become World Book and Copyright Day, a dual commemoration promoted by UNESCO since 1995. But beyond the book stalls and author signings, there is a whole universe that revolves around the book, its dissemination, and its legal protection.

With this spirit, at Authors with Rights, the MES Advocats podcast, we wanted to celebrate by hitting the streets and giving a voice to those who keep literature alive from different fronts: historical preservation, literary creation, and editorial distribution. This special episode, available on Spotify, follows a route that begins at the Cervantes Society, continues with writers Miguel and Àngels Dalmau, and ends at the bookstore Tipos Infames.

Legacy and Print: The Cervantes Society

Our first stop took us to a symbolic place: the Cervantes Society, located where Don Quixote was first printed in 1605. There, Cristina Esteban, its coordinator, welcomed us with Cervantine passion and spoke about the pioneering role of printing in the birth of copyright law.

“From the moment Don Quixote left this door, on January 16, 1605, it was a bestseller,” says Esteban. The story of this book not only marked a literary milestone but also set an editorial and legal precedent: in a time without phones or social networks, the first edition sold out in weeks. Cristina reminded us that copyright law, as a legal concept, was born to protect precisely this type of massively disseminated work that transforms culture.

Today, the Cervantes Society not only preserves the original printing workshop but also organizes visits, theatre classes, book presentations, and plays such as Marcela, based on chapter XIV of Don Quixote, adapted by Leticia Dolera and María Folguera. This work places the shepherdess Marcela at the center, a female character whose voice resonates with striking relevance in today’s gender debates. “Marcela is still a current figure. Cervantes was ahead of his time,” concludes Esteban.

The Society also welcomes visitors from all over the world, interested not only in Cervantes but in understanding how the printing press revolutionized access to knowledge. Cristina emphasizes that this historical dimension has a contemporary mirror: “Just as in the 17th century, today we are experiencing a digital revolution that also challenges how we protect and share culture.”

Biographies, Noir Fiction, and Family Memory: The Dalmau Siblings

Our second stop brought us to a conversation with writers Miguel and Àngels Dalmau, whose vision of World Book Day combines the intimate and the public. Miguel, author of key biographies such as Pasolini: The Last Prophet (Comillas Prize) and The Goytisolos (Anagrama Essay finalist), spoke about the challenge of writing literary “autopsies,” in which the subject comes back to life: “The goal of a biography is for the dead to stand up again,” he said. He also reflected on how the writer’s role has evolved since the ’70s and ’80s, noting how critical commitment has often been replaced by self-censorship or complacency. “Writers used to be sentinels, figures of commitment and critical insight,” he notes. Nowadays, many opt for neutrality to avoid friction with the system.

Miguel pointed to Pasolini as a visionary who foresaw a world dominated by corporate control over the individual, where consumerism replaces free thought: “Pasolini said the new fascism wouldn’t come with uniforms, but with brands and algorithms telling you what to watch, what to buy, how to live. And he wasn’t wrong.”

Àngels, in turn, presented Vinyes de Sang, her noir novel written in Catalan and set in the Penedès region, where the death of a casteller during the Sant Fèlix festivities triggers a web of family secrets, local power, and traditional culture. The book has received awards at the Lloret Negre Festival and is popular among book clubs and readers. “It’s a tribute to popular culture and the values of the casteller world: resilience, teamwork, rootedness,” says Dalmau. The novel also reflects a generation marked by family silence, inherited conflict, and the contradictions of a land deeply linked to Catalan identity, wine, and human towers.

Tipos Infames and the Role of Independent Bookstores

Our last stop was in the heart of Malasaña: Tipos Infames, a bookstore that combines coffee, wine, and literature, and has spent over a decade championing independent publishing. There, we discussed how bookstores have become much more than sales points: they’re cultural spaces, gathering places, and connectors between readers and authors in an increasingly digital world.

The team at Tipos Infames emphasized the importance of resisting cultural homogenization. “We support small publishers, distinct voices, books you won’t find in large chains.” Their model proves that an alternative form of bookselling is not only possible but essential—and that personalized literary recommendations are still irreplaceable.

Reading, Protecting, and Transforming: The Copyright Challenge

From a legal perspective, World Book Day is also a reminder of the importance of protecting literary works, both in analog and digital formats. Copyright law, enshrined in most legal systems, ensures that creators can control the use of their works, receive fair compensation, and decide how and when their creations are shared.

Yet today, with digital platforms, AI-generated content, and evolving business models, the challenges are multiplying. How can we ensure writers receive what they’re due? What is the role of publishers? How do we balance free access to culture with the sustainability of those who write, edit, translate, and publish?

This special episode of Authors with Rights is more than a celebration—it’s a tribute to all those who keep literature alive: from the Golden Age printers to today’s authors, bookstores, and readers. Because reading is also a legal act, a gesture of memory and of future. And because without rights, there are no authors. And without authors, there are no books.

At MES Advocats, we stand with creators and cultural professionals to protect their rights, support their projects, and accompany them with legal precision every step of the way.

For more information or personalized advice, contact us at www.mesadvocats.com.

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Día Mundial del LibroDiada Sant JordiCopyrightIndustria EditorialIntellectual Property

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