An interesting idea- would you try it if we did it?

What is a book worth? The answer to this question is, like most things, relative – as will be demonstrated over the next few weeks at a handful of locations in Spain, Latin America and the rest of Europe. A project called 1010 Ways to Buy Without Money will see stalls ‘selling’ books for a variety of prices, set either by the organisers or by the donors of the books. These might involve taking snacks to the office for colleagues, or creating a photo diary, drawing a self-portrait, or more practically, donating clothes, blood and even organs. The one thing they all have in common is they can’t involve the exchange of money.

The project started in Barcelona in 2011 when a group of creatively-minded people started reflecting on the monetisation of culture, prompted by the celebration of the International Day of the Book, on 23 April (the Unesco-designated date, not to be confused with the UK event of the same name). It’s a festivity that is hugely celebrated in the Catalan capital, making it the day in which the most books are sold all year. “Why had the ‘Day of the Book’ become the ‘Day of buying a book’?,” they asked themselves. 

The initiative is now entering its fifth year and has spread around the world, with events held from London to Georgia, Madrid to Montevideo and Romania. It is now a participatory project in which anyone can create their own book fair of the same style – the organisers provide materials, information and advice, as long as some guidelines are followed, such as adhering to the no-money approach and creating a Facebook event. This year, in addition to Barcelona, individuals are already organising events in four Brazilian cities, the Californian town of Bishop, the Colombian city of Barranquilla, Montevideo in Uruguay, the Ecuadorian city of Santo Domingo and Ciudad Real, in Spain.

Carlitos González, from creative agency Carlitos y Patricia and one of the creators of the project, explains that when they saw a buyer agreeing to become an organ donor in exchange for a book, they realised they were driving something powerful. “We say it’s the most expensive book stall in the city, even if we’re selling without money,” he explains. Buyers commit to the price, and they send pictures as proof afterwards: “We’re like old shops where the customer was trusted to come back and pay.” This year, the main focus of the fair will be blood donations – they have partnered with a blood bank – which will be the price of 100 of the best books on offer.