The Plaza del Pilar is once again becoming a meeting point these days for those who experience books with special intensity. “Books that Matter” returns to Zaragoza with a new edition of its literary exchange, a secret friend made up of readings, dedications and paper-wrapped gifts that is already part of the city's Christmas landscape.
For several days, Readers of all ages approach the stall set up next to the Nativity scene at the Christmas market to give away a significant copy and receive another in return. The mechanics are simple, but the emotional component carries a lot of weight: each book travels accompanied by a few handwritten lines on the first pages, explaining the reasons why that work has been important.
What is “Books that Matter” and why has it become a part of Christmas in Zaragoza?
“Books That Matter” is a reading promotion project powered by the Atrapavientos associationWith the support of the Zaragoza City Council, the Municipal Public Libraries and the Ministry of Culture, it was launched in December 2016 and has since become one of the most recognizable cultural events of the Christmas market in Plaza del Pilar.
The proposal is structured as a large book exchange in literary Secret Santa formatEach participant brings a book that has special value for them, writes a dedication to a stranger, and hands it over wrapped at the activity booth. In return, they receive another book that someone has chosen and dedicated with the same care.
According to data provided by Atrapavientos, The project has already recorded nearly 16.000 exchanges of specimens. Since its launch. In the Aragonese capital alone, the latest edition counted around 1.300 books delivered and collected, with a participation of around 70% women and a growing presence of entire families approaching with several generations at once.
This initiative is not limited to Zaragoza: “Books That Matter” has been held in more than twenty locations in Spain and abroadThese include Mexico City, Stockholm, Utrecht, Bilbao, Pedrola, Huesca, and Riofrío de Aliste. Even so, the Plaza del Pilar remains one of its most emblematic locations and the place where the project has become, in the words of its organizers, a true Christmas classic.
The impact isn't measured solely in numbers. For the organization and for those who participate year after year, The key lies in that moment when you open a book and discover the dedication from someone you don't know.That mix of curiosity, surprise, and closeness is what has made many readers return edition after edition.
Dates, location and times for Books That Matter in Zaragoza
The new edition of Books That Matter in Zaragoza takes place from December 26 to 30 Right in the city center. The stall is located in Plaza del Pilar, next to the exit of the Nativity scene at the Christmas market, a high-traffic area for locals and visitors.
The operation remains stable compared to previous years. For several days, the booth is open mornings and afternoons., usually from 11:00 to 15:00 and from 16:30 to 21:00, allowing both those who come in the morning and those who stroll at nightfall to participate without haste.
The opening usually coincides with one of the first busy days of the Christmas market. From the moment the stall opens, small queues of people with their wrapped books form. Under their arms, eager to find out which title they'll win this year. There are veteran participants who have been coming for several years and others who are trying it for the first time, encouraged by friends, family, or simply out of curiosity at seeing so many people exchanging packages.
The Zaragoza City Council has supported the proposal from its inception and, through the Culture department and the network of municipal librariesTake advantage of these days to bring the life of the city's 27 libraries closer to the public passing through Plaza del Pilar. In addition to promoting reading, the aim is to inform the public about other resources and activities that take place throughout the year.
Institutional officials, cultural managers and representatives of the book sector usually visit the booth during these days. Figures such as the Minister of Culture or the Director General of Culture of the DGA have participated by bringing their own copies, sometimes linked to Aragonese heritage, such as books about the Sigena monastery or publications related to city neighborhoods like San José.
How to participate step by step in the literary secret Santa
Take part in Books That Matter Zaragoza is simple, but it's important to follow the steps carefully. so that the exchange works and everyone can enjoy the experience without any problems.
The first is choose the book that will be givenIt's not about getting rid of just any book you have lying around, but about thinking of a work that has meant something to you: a novel that marked a turning point, an essay that changed your perspective, a picture book that has been read aloud many times, or a book of poems that you return to frequently. It can be your own book, a new one, or even a secondhand one, as long as it has real meaning for the person giving it.
The second step is write a dedication on one of the first pagesIn that text, the recipient is told why that title was chosen, what it meant in the life of the person giving it, or when they first read it. These lines, which in many cases become short personal stories, are the heart of the project.
Then you need fill out the online registration form on the initiative's websiteUpon completing the registration, a code is generated and sent via email, which will be required when handing in the book at the booth. During this process, the platform offers the option to attach a photograph of the dedication, allowing participation in the best texts contest.
Once registered, it's time to prepare the package. The book should be wrapped as if it were a Christmas present.paying special attention to the presentation. With the book ready, the code in the email, and the dedication written, all that remains is to go to the booth in Plaza del Pilar on the established days and times. There, the Atrapavientos team receives the book, checks the registration, and gives the participant another package at random, chosen from among those brought by the other people.
The result is a kind of collective secret friend: Nobody knows who will receive their book or whose book they take home.But they all share the same desire to give away a book that has been important at some point in their lives.
The importance of the dedication and the Matildas and Bastianes prize
If there is one element that distinguishes Books that Matter from other book exchanges, is the required dedication that must accompany each copy. It's not enough to simply hand over the book: the purpose of the project is to explain why that title matters and to speak directly to the person who will receive it.
The organization insists that “Motives matter”Those words written on the first pages are what create a bond, however brief, between the giver and the receiver. They might be memories of a teenage read, a recommendation for a specific life stage, or simply a confession of why that story was a companion during a particular period.
To highlight this component, Atrapavientos organizes the annual Matildas and Bastianes Award for Best DedicationThose wishing to be considered for this award must upload a photograph of the text they wrote during the online registration process. This allows the organization to read and evaluate the submissions without revealing the identity of the participants.
The selected dedication receives a statuette designed by the Malaga artist Pepa Muñozin addition to a gift certificate to use at the bookstore of the winner's choice. This format allows the project Also support local bookstores, diverting part of the event's impact towards the local book trade.
This award has become an added incentive for many people who take special care in what they write. Beyond recognition, the competition fosters literary creativity and encourages reflection on the personal relationship one has with books.Not only are objects exchanged, but experiences, emotions, and memories are also shared.
Data, most frequently read books and literary map of Zaragoza
Each edition of Books That Matter leaves behind a trail of data that the organization uses to map out a true literary map of the cityBased on the information entered during registration, Atrapavientos can analyze which titles are most popular, which authors are repeated, and what the approximate profile of the participants is.
In one of the latest editions held in Zaragoza, 1.282 readers participated, of whom approximately 72% were womenMost of the books donated were already on people's bookshelves at home, although some had been purchased specifically for the event. The dominant genre was narrative fiction, but there was also an increase in the presence of poetry and picture books.
Among the most frequent proper names are Isabel Allende as the most exchanged authorfollowed by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Eduardo Mendoza, and Carlos Ruiz Zafón. As for specific titles, novels such as [insert titles here] are frequently mentioned. “The Pillars of the Earth”, “The Eight” and “The Diary of Anne Frank”, which seem to maintain their ability to connect with different generations.
The organization uses all of this to prepare a report that allows observation How is reading done in Zaragoza, and what works continue to circulate most intensely?For Atrapavientos, this data functions almost like an X-ray of the city's reading tastes during the Christmas holidays, with particularities that change slightly each year.
This monitoring also helps to gauge the project's progress. In this edition, the program coordinator, Jorge Gonzalvo, has pointed out that The number of exchanges is between 1.300 and 1.500 books in Zaragoza alone.This consolidates the proposal as an event already firmly established in the local cultural calendar.
Stories, participants and a leap to other cities
Beyond the numbers, Each edition of Books That Matter leaves behind anecdotes and small personal stories. These images capture the atmosphere in Plaza del Pilar during these days. Despite the cold or rain typical of this time of year, the area around the book stall is usually lively, with readers greeting each other, families discussing what they've brought this year, and curious onlookers approaching to ask how it all works.
Previous participants have included anonymous readers alongside authors, journalists and prominent figures from Aragonese cultural lifeSome have brought out-of-print comics about city neighborhoods, others have chosen historical novels linked to Aragonese heritage, and there are those who opt for books they have discovered almost by chance and that have marked them precisely because they arrived without looking for them.
The organization insists that the project is not limited to the booth in Plaza del PilarAtrapavientos views this as part of a broader program that includes workshops, reading promotion, and activities in collaboration with libraries and cultural organizations throughout the year. The recognition from the Ministry of Culture, which awarded the association the National Prize for the Promotion of Reading in 2022, validates this trajectory.
The geographical growth of the initiative is also significant. After its inception in Zaragoza, Libros que Importan expanded to other Spanish cities. Later, it expanded internationally to locations such as Mexico City, Stockholm, and Utrecht. More recently, it has been held in person in municipalities like Bilbao, Riofrío de Aliste, Pedrola, and Huesca, and the organizers intend to continue building a network that may soon reach [other locations]. Madrid or Barcelona, as well as other locations such as Teruel.
The same philosophy is maintained in all these destinations: to exchange books that truly matter, accompanied by dedications that explain their reasons.The format is adapted to the local context, but the essence —shared reading as an excuse to meet— remains intact.
The Books That Matter initiative in Zaragoza showcases How a gesture as simple as giving a book with a dedication can become a fixed date on the cultural calendarThe combination of institutional support, citizen participation, care for local bookstores and expansion to other cities shapes a project that has found its place in the Christmas festivities, maintaining the focus on what is essential: the people who read, the books that accompany them and the stories that are shared when those copies change hands in the Plaza del Pilar.
