Editorials 1.1

From the SQ: "The Changing Face of Sitges"

The Editorial 1.1

It is no secret that Sitges has a great legacy in print. Looking back we find examples like El Eco de Sitges and its 125 years of uninterrupted history (recently honored by the Generalitat de Catalunya with the Cross of Sant Jordi), the Suburense, La Voz de Sitges, La Punta, El Baluard or L'Amic de les Arts, all publications that contained a wide range of articles of local interest essays, political commentary, topical events, illustrations, poetry and short stories, show that the town of Sitges has had an innate appreciation for artistic expression.

The increase in local tourism has also been reflected in the local press and in 1919, coinciding with the development of the new garden city of Terramar, a magazine was founded that bore its name and included an advertisement running along the bottom of its pages written in Catalan, Castellano, English, French and Italian! In early 1921, Josep Carbonell i Gener, a member of the literary circle of Sitges, also felt the need to publish a new magazine covering political and cultural ideology and he subsequently founded the Monitor, published in Catalan and included a summary of its contents in English.

One can assume that the intention was not only to reach the public of Sitges, but also to reach an audience fluent in a variety of languages. This reinforces our belief that a magazine written in the three dominant languages ​​spoken in Sitges would reach the majority of its residents and guests who visit our shores.

Everyone likes to see their views represented in the media and we are no different. We, the team at The Sitges Quarterly (SQ), including our contributors, endeavour to reflect within our pages all that is to be found in Sitges, by capturing its past, exploring its present and providing a space to talk about its future. In addition, we invite you, our readers—the people of Sitges—to contribute. All are welcome to submit stories and articles, or letters to make your thoughts and ideas known on the issues we cover four times a year. Our hope is that with the help of citizen journalism, the magazine will not only be read, but also used to enrich your experience of our town.

But first, since we’ve been experiencing the changing face of Sitges over the last few years, we thought we'd explore the changes in our environment and how we feel about what is happening around us.

And now, enjoy what is here before you. Turn the page and begin to read all that we’re about. And just think. The time is at hand for the Sitges Quarterly.

Feel our words, Savour our stories...

The Epilogue: "Afterwords"

Why produce a print magazine about Sitges? Now is the time. It is about time to reach most of the people of Sitges via the written word. The Sitges Quarterly was born from the reality of there being nothing readily available to fit this rather large niche. There is no magazine formatted for everyone. Despite the world moving “forward” by turning to the Internet for all purposes, I felt that the pre-electronic age magazine would better fulfil the need for a single point of reference with original content of interesting articles pertaining to our town. Sitges, a town of many peoples, diverse ethnicities and a myriad of lifestyles, that amazingly manages to retain its rich Catalan heritage.

There is something to be said for a tangible periodical. A magazine that engages its reader in a solitary activity, an entity that does not need to be “switched on”, “booted-up”, plugged in or recharged. It can be picked up, put down at will or even dropped by accident without incurring dire consequences! Generally, people still prefer the ease of control of how, where and when they read the written word, whether it is a newspaper, book, brochure, flyer or magazine. In fact, after hurricane Katrina devastated part of the gulf coast of the United States, the written word became the primary source of news due to the loss of electricity.

In my research for the SQ, I’ve learned that during the 12-year life of Google, magazine readership has increased 11% and incredibly, magazines rank No. 1 at influencing consumers to start an online search.

Once again, feel free to submit works and photos, but also your comments and suggestions, some of which will be published on our Reactions page beginning in our next issue this summer.

And in our ever-changing world that is Sitges, the team of the SQ hopes to continue to inform and entertain you with our features and images. Keep reading!