Barcelona Guide Bureau met the inspiring Australian author Sally Webster
From Barcelona Guide Bureau we had the pleasure to meet Sally Webster, author from Canberra and unconditional lover of Barcelona. She has written a travel novel which takes place in Barcelona and did several tours with BGB.
Barcelona Guide Bureau: Sally, who are you? Let’s introduce you.
I live in Canberra, Australia’s national capital, but my heart and soul has been in Barcelona since the first time I visited in 1996. My passion is communicating and writing. I am also an author having had my poems and short stories published, and have now written a travel novel for young readers about Barcelona. I am now writing a second travel novel about Barcelona for young adult readers. And, I love animals. I have two dogs, Puppy and Kisho, and a cat, Scout.
Barcelona Guide Bureau: What is your novel about?
My travel novel is titled ‘Barcelona – friends until the end…the journeys of Montse and Dras’. It’s the story of a dog, Dras, who lives with his owner in the Barri Gòtic near the cathedral, and a cheeky, stray cat Montse, who befriends Dras and tells stories about her adventures in and around Barcelona, including at Pedralbes, Camp Nou, Montjuïc, Barceloneta, Parc de la Ciutadella, Parc Güell and, of course, Las Ramblas.
I wrote it for all age groups, but it is specifically for eight to 14 year olds depending on their reading abilities. Through the story readers can travel in and around the city and learn more about the Catalan culture and history of Barcelona.
Barcelona Guide Bureau: Why write a novel about Barcelona?
Anyone who knows me knows that I would write about Barcelona. It’s like I breathe, I eat, I sleep, I swim each day, and my heart and soul is traveling the streets of Barcelona. The more pragmatic answer is that over the years that I have been visiting Barcelona I noticed that in the tourist shops and shops at the museums there were many English-language books for adults and picture books for very young readers, but nothing for young adult readers. So, I thought why should they miss out on learning about the wonderful, rich Catalan culture and the magical city that is Barcelona? Therefore, I wrote ‘Montse and Dras’ specifically to promote Barcelona to young readers. I hope to now get this novel published.
Barcelona Guide Bureau: Why is Barcelona so special for you?
Barcelona and its people captured my heart when I first visited in 1996. It is an enchanting city. There are so many places in Barcelona that are my ‘favourite’, but there are two that stand above the rest which to me fully represent the Catalan seny – that is its spirit, energy, heart and soul. These are Montjuïc and the Palau de la Música Catalana. These are two places that to me are almost spiritual.
Wherever you walk throughout the city you can feel the history and the culture. It’s a city that has it all from the Romanesque to Modernism to contemporary – and yet it takes all of this in its stride. It’s not showy or brash like some other cities – it just is!
Barcelona Guide Bureau: How did you know the Barcelona Guide Bureau?
When I participated in a public tour of the Palau de la Música last year – a place I know well and love, I was surprised by my reaction as I was very impressed by Mercè, my tour guide, and the Barcelona Guide Bureau who runs the tours for the Palau.
Mercè’s tour was one that did complete justice to the Palau. It was informative, inspiring and demonstrated that the guides working with the Barcelona Guide Bureau have as much passion for the Palau as I do – perhaps even more…?
Earlier this year, I took another tour with the Barcelona Guide Bureau and this was to Camp Nou with the tour guide, Artur. Experiencing the home of F C Barça with Artur is a must for every visitor to Barcelona – this is true Catalan spirit and passion.
The key difference with the Barcelona Guide Bureau is that the staff just aren’t tour guides, they want to share their love and understanding of their city, and through their passion and care, they become a friend. It’s really the same ethos I am trying to achieve through my travel novel ‘Barcelona – friends until the end…the journeys of Montse and Dras’.
One Response to “Barcelona Guide Bureau met the inspiring Australian author Sally Webster”
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Wow!! This woman really seems to like Barcelona a lot!! She seems to know a lot about the place too!! It’s impressive!! Can’t wait to read her books!! Go….Sally!!