The Catalan house of culture, ONA, was founded in 1962, during the Franco dictatorship, with the purpose of bringing literature, texts, essays, theatre plays and poetry in Catalan to a wider audience. For decades, the first ONA, on Barcelona’s Gran Via, was the main driver of the culture of the Catalan regions, and its endeavours were rewarded in 1986 when it was awarded the Sant Jordi Cross by the Catalan government.
Its new premises, on Carrer Pau Claris, opened in 2020, and has different sections hosting daily book clubs, book launches, poetry readings, story-telling sessions and activities promoting accessible, quality literature.