Júlia Mérida: "Men read philosophy or metaphysics books to feel interesting."

ManacorJúlia Mérida (Inca, 1995) holds a degree in Musicology from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and teaches at the Felanitx high school. A passionate reader and successful podcaster, she is now launching a book club in Manacor, this Thursday at the Món de Llibres bookstore. Gratitude, by Delphine de Vigan (Ediciones 62, 2021), as a touchstone for a prosperous path of community literature. We talked for a while.

Where and how did the idea of ​​starting a book club in Manacor come from?

— Because Fausto [Mundo de Libros] and I have a weekly relationship. I sell books here to buy them and chat with him about them, and from there it felt very natural to propose it to him. I had already run several Jane Austen book clubs in Palma and I thought it would be a good idea. It's a kind of co-production.

How do you avoid falling into clichés? Do you have a prepared script for how to structure it?

— There will always be common topics, like which character we liked more or less... I've read the book many times, I bring a script to have several topics organized, but from there I'll let the conversation arise for an hour, which is approximately how long it will last.

Should the book be underlined or left unmarked?

— Everyone can do what they want, but I personally dislike the mistreatment, the underlining, because what is underlined, over time, also indicates what the reader thought and believed was important at that time.

Did we lose focus during the process?

— 100% yes, I've noticed myself reaching for my phone at some point. I think a book demands your presence, even if there's nothing interesting happening at that moment. I believe we need to return to contemplation, which is very necessary. Current young adult literature is heading in that direction: very little description and lots of action. However, despite the distractions, I see that there are still people starting to read, including many young girls.

Is reading fashionable or out of necessity?

— I wish it were more fashionable! The key to developing a reading habit is trying many different kinds of books; especially to discover what type of literature you enjoy, whether it's a comic, a classic, or a novel. best sellerAnd to rid ourselves of certain prejudices that dictate what you should or shouldn't like by force.

Because Gratitude as the first book for the club?

— Because it's a good novel to read for someone who doesn't yet have a reading habit, because it's simple, with short sentences... And because we didn't have much time from when we announced the book club until this Thursday when we launched it.

Are there bad reading recommendations from schools or institutes?

— It's impossible to generalize, because there are also many reading-related activities that depend on a specific subject or on internal reading clubs, like the one at the Felanitx high school, for example. The key is trying to get them hooked. However, we must also be aware that it's very difficult to get a teenager interested in reading if there isn't a single book in their home...

What is your record for hours of continuous reading?

— All day is impossible... food is very important too! [laughs]. Maybe a whole afternoon, or a weekend morning snack... But usually between two and three hours, like what happened to me now with RelicPol Guasch's latest book. Anyway, he'll be returning more in the summer.

Do you read with background music?

— Never... and that's coming from a music teacher.

What will be the club's meeting frequency?

— We'll have one more Thursday meeting before summer... the book has already been chosen. Then, starting in September, there will be a Thursday club meeting approximately every six weeks; this will also give everyone time to read the book.

Why do so many women buy books?

— It's been proven that women read more; it's a verifiable fact if you look at bookstore sales. I think this could be explained by the theory that women have traditionally been responsible for domestic work, which leads them to read novels and stories. Meanwhile, men read philosophy or metaphysics to feel interesting or more important. Women read everything, inwardly, while men read outwardly.

I suppose it's the same in book clubs...

— In the ones I've done so far, approximately 90% of the attendees were women.

His podcast will return Pit?

— He's not coming back. It's that simple. But other things and projects will come along. I'm very fond of him. PitAnd I think it ended at the right time, without me burning out. But it doesn't represent me like it used to; now I want to focus on new things.

Are we overfed with podcasts?

— No. If anything, we're overfed with reels Regarding podcasts, which are not the same thing. Because very few people listen to the entire program; instead, they remember specific moments from what they saw on Instagram. The algorithm is a killing machine that always makes you listen to the same thing. Book clubs, for example, can generate new things.

Books are not usually a topic of conversation at a dinner party with friends.

— People who read a lot usually also enjoy sharing and talking about what they've read... and that rarely happens in many areas of life or with many people... and in this sense, you can end up feeling very alone. But I also don't agree with the idea that someone who doesn't read lacks depth...

How many books can you read per year?

— Between 48 and 50, slightly less than one per week.

Do you accumulate many unread books?

— Less and less. Also because I've lost my fear of leaving them unfinished if I don't like them.

Always in Catalan?

— In Catalan whenever possible, and in Spanish if the original is written.

Have you ever bought a book just because of the cover?

— He never understands a book by its cover; it's another thing entirely if he buys several editions of the same book.

Are libraries a good alternative?

— We are frequent users of the municipal library, especially for more classic books that I might not be able to find here in a bookstore, and because there are often months when the financial burden is too great.

Is she one of those people who abandons books?

— I leave books so you can trust that they'll be returned... and if not, I have no problem making threatening (Instagram) stories.

Are there books that depend on the person?

— I think there are books you can give to mothers-in-law, like those by Nora Ephron, for example. You can't go wrong.