The Ship of Books in Barcelona officially opened with a lively and meaningful ceremony on April 6, 2025. During the event, each participating school introduced itself and sang its national anthem, celebrating the cultural diversity of the project.
One of the highlights was the Cetaceans Watching activity led by ISPRA as part of the Life Conceptu Maris project. Researchers who regularly board the ship to monitor marine life shared their work and experiences, offering us a closer look at the marine world and its protection.
Throughout the project, schools took part in many creative activities linked to this year’s theme for the Ship and the Desibook Project: Nature and the Environment.
Each school presented its contributions; for example, our school introduced Brey, a real bird cared for by primary school students as part of an environmental education initiative.
As in previous editions, students also had the opportunity to meet several authors on board the Ship. In addition, a small Desibook European Green Library was created, further promoting reading and environmental awareness.
On the next and final day, we visited Montserrat, one of the most famous and breathtaking places near Barcelona, along with other well-known spots, ending the experience on a memorable note.
Opening of the Ship of Books
The Ship of Books was officially inaugurated the 21st April 2024 with a vibrant and emotional ceremony. Each participating school took the stage to introduce itself to the others, creating a moment of cultural exchange and connection. After the presentations, every school sang its national anthem, beautifully accompanied by student musicians from an Italian music high school. Each delegation also presented a narrative path to introduce its country, sharing stories, traditions, and values. During the day, students had the opportunity to meet four different authors on board the ship, making the experience even more inspiring.
Discovering Barcelona
Our exploration of Barcelona began at the Museu Marítim, where we learned about the city’s strong connection to the sea. Then, we continued through some of the city’s most iconic places, including Plaça Reial and Palau Güell, discovering the rich history and unique architecture of Barcelona.
Book World Day & Saint Jordi
On Book World Day and Saint Jordi, we traveled to Figueres to visit the Salvador Dalí Theatre-Museum. This unforgettable experience immersed us in the surreal world of Dalí and was the perfect way to celebrate literature, art, and creativity.
A Ship of Books for Barcelona is the Agra Editrice format in collaboration with the monthly magazine Leggere.tutti. In 2023, for the 11th edition of the Ship of Books, Agra's initiative was included among those under the European project Desibook Project.
A Ship of Books was scheduled from 21 to 27 April 2023 on the occasion of The Day of Books and Roses which is the 23rd of April as the World Book and Copyright Day and Sant Jordi.
The journey by boat was animated by a rich program of readings, theater performances, film projections, meetings, presentations of the writers and book launches around this year's theme: "The Culture of Europeans".
Starting from the 2023 edition, and for the following ones in 2024 and 2025, students and teachers will be involved, namely the five classes from Katerini (Greece), Istanbul (Turkey), Sofia (Bulgaria), Vigo (Spain) and Salerno (Italy), which will be added to the hundreds of participants (educational institutions, as well as families).
In Barcelona we have also identified sites, museums, artistic heritage of particular interest, in line with the project, thus defining a tour and activities that were carried out.