‘World’s first’ bookstore dedicated to Palestinian culture outside Palestine opens in Barcelona

Palestinian Culture Finds a New Home in Barcelona

Barcelona bookstore group Finestres has opened what organisers describe as the world’s first bookshop outside Palestine dedicated exclusively to Palestinian culture, thought and literature.

Footage captured on Thursday shows visitors moving through the new venue, browsing displays of poetry, fiction, essays and political writing.

The new Finestres Palestina space, located in Barcelona’s Gracia neighbourhood, has around 4,000 books in several languages. Organisers say the collection includes fiction, poetry, essays, art, theatre, children’s books and gastronomy, with a strong focus on Palestinian authors and perspectives.

Literature Beyond the Headlines

Olivia Watson, who heads the bookstore, said the aim was to go beyond headlines and offer a deeper understanding of Palestinian daily life.

“Since 2023, lots of people who didn’t know anything about the Palestinian context have seen what’s happening in the headlines and are shocked by it. What that doesn’t give people is a better understanding of the reality of Palestinian food, of Palestinian day-to-day reality, and that’s what literature can do for us,” Watson explained.

“I think we need to, as a society, promote Palestinian voices at a time when they’re being silenced. And that means proactively dedicating a space to Palestinian culture, Palestinian writing and literature, and trying to do our part to make sure that the genocide ends,” she added.

Watson said the response since opening had been strong, particularly from members of the Palestinian diaspora.

“We opened less than two weeks ago, and hundreds of people have been through, especially people from the diaspora, have been really excited to have this space,” she said.

Celebrating Influential Palestinian Voices

Palestinian literature has long explored themes of identity, displacement, memory and exile, with writers documenting both personal and political histories.

Among the most influential voices is Edward Said, the Palestinian-American scholar whose work helped shape postcolonial studies, including his landmark book Orientalism. Poetry has also been central to Palestinian cultural expression, particularly the work of Mahmoud Darwish, often described as Palestine’s national poet.

Opening Amid the Ongoing Gaza Conflict

The opening comes amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The war escalated on October 7, 2023, after a Hamas-led attack on Israel killed 1,139 people and saw more than 200 hostages taken.

Israel then launched a military campaign across Gaza. Palestinian health authorities say at least 72,803 people have been killed and more than 172,855 wounded.

In January, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff announced the start of the second phase of the Trump administration’s 20-point Gaza plan, saying it would move from ceasefire to demilitarisation, technocratic governance and reconstruction. Palestinian officials have repeatedly accused Israel of violating the agreement.