Miguel Sanz (Burgos, 33 years old) spends 12 hours a day on the street, at the foot of his kiosk. People greet him all the time and Sanz knows their names, faces, details of their lives and, of course, their main newspaper. Some come to return trust money, Sanz doesn’t even remember. Neighborhood life in danger of extinction, like newsstands. Despite the turbulence in the sector, this one, at Ortega y Gasset 45, near the Plaza del Marqués de Salamanca, Madrid, seems to be going well.
Sanz took the transfer 10 years ago, when he was a student of Political Science and History. “I wanted to get to work,” he says. For two years now, his kiosk has been different by organizing signings with authors such as Andrés Trapiello, David Uclés, Manuela Carmena, Aida Dos Santos, Esperanza Aguirre, Benjamín G. Rosado, Vicente G. Olaya, Juan Manuel de Prada, Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, etc. On the 16th—Sanz is very happy—Manuel Vicent comes: “He is a very beloved author.”
Ask. Do you have to be a little crazy to go into a kiosk?
Answer. A little… They have been decreasing in recent years, but I have always had a vocation for the written word, newspapers, magazines and I always saw hope. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have taken it. Very good Javier! (greets a client, a lawyer, who buys EL PAÍS and says “let you know that we have a wonderful newsstand”)
P. This kiosk is very leafy.
R. Fundamentally I have opted for books, through signatures with authors. Readers like to have the dedication, but I also intend to generate conversations. I like to bring people who write for newspapers so that there are synergies between readers of the press and books. Also to young authors, who do not have as much projection.
P. It has many other things: umbrellas, toys, candy, even bags!
R. The cards, I sell a lot of cards, especially football cards. Stories for children… Umbrellas sell quite well on rainy days when, precisely, I have to put away the books. A few years ago we lived very comfortably with newspapers and magazines, today we have to diversify. Very good! (greets two clients who appear).
P. Now some very modern kiosks are appearing, with cute coffee, very exclusive design magazines, very little press…
R. They are very respectable options. Some in the center only sell souvenirs, Each one has their own approach: we have to pay an annual fee to the City Council, and we are trying, through the association, to be exonerated, as in a pandemic: culture needs help. And I have opted for culture, at least in 80% of the products.
P. Who did you start the signings with?
R. I started with a friend, Francisco Cánovas, president of the Historical Sciences section of the Ateneo de Madrid, biographer of Ramón y Cajal, Chaves Nogales or Galdós. (“Very good, Elisa!” greets another client). It turned out very well. Juan Manuel de Prada signed a lot, 100 books in two hours, also because people took the two volumes of his novel. David Uclés was the one who signed the most in just one hour, about 70. There are authors who tell me that they sign more than at fairs and bookstores. This is a cultured neighborhood, right Isabel? (he tells a client, who nods and laughs).
P. Do booksellers have a thing for you?
R. Wow, we have a good relationship. Those from the Pérgamo bookstore, which is nearby, have sometimes helped me with copies. The general irritation is with the sale of books on Amazon. I’m glad that several customers who used to buy on Amazon now buy here. Buying a book is not just about clicking, but about talking and building trust.
P. Excellent.
R. It is about social interaction, giving life to the neighborhood, making it a meeting point. (“She is phenomenal at giving life,” says a new client, who pushes a woman in a wheelchair: she always takes history magazines). On Sunday mornings the other shops are closed, there is less rush and obligations, and here we have the signatures.
P. What role does the newsagent have in the neighborhood?
R. There are those who tell me personal things, because they know that they are not going to get out of here. We also fulfill a signaling function, giving directions to this street, to that doctor. A neighborhood community network is formed, there are those who ask if another friend has stopped by or how they are. A point of reference: people meet and we chat.
P. The reading on paper decreases and I see that those who stop are not exactly cherubs. Are you worried?
R. I believe that paper newspapers will never die. It is the most suitable format for reading. In digital, much less time is dedicated to leisurely reading. Good reports, good articles, good information will always be demanded by the public, on paper. Maybe I’m too optimistic.
P. Let’s hope he’s right.
R. The Internet is here to stay, but I think that this bubble of spending so many hours in front of the screen is going to go down. The paper book has remained.
P. When this interview is published you will be part of the merchandise you sell. Will you try to place more copies?
R. Modestly, I hope to sell 200 or 300 (laughs). I spend many hours on the street and end up meeting many people, I hope they are interested.
P. If he sells that much we will have to interview him more often.
R. Whenever you want! I’m a fan of newspapers…