The oldest writers of Catalan literature, the country singer Dolly Parton and the ghostwriter of Mario Vargas Llosa have met this week in Barcelona. The latter is actually the Galician editor Eduardo Riestra who, in his latest book, El negro de Vargas Llosa, claims that the Peruvian writer asked him to continue one of his already started books because, after receiving the Nobel Prize, he had countless social commitments and did not it reached everything. “There are more than one who will believe it is true,” he joked during the presentation of the novel at the Nollegiu bookstore in Poblenou.
His editor was one of the first to believe the whole story from beginning to end. “He asked me to provide photos together, which would make a good book. I had to tell him that he didn't have any,” he confessed to the writer Ignacio Martínez de Pisón, who accompanied him at the presentation and who throughout the afternoon told anecdotes about various authors of the Latin American boom. Concern was immediate: “This could lead to legal action, so I decided to write to Mario himself. I waited until the publication date approached and got in touch.”
The nerves about a possible complaint were present throughout the entire writing. However, Riestra decided to bet heavily on that book idea that came to him “where all good ideas arise, in the shower.” After a few days an email arrived. It was Mario Vargas Llosa. “I'm baffled,” he admitted. But that didn't stop them from meeting in person. He invited him to a party he gave at the El Jaral de la Mira farm, in El Escorial, and there, he personally shared his feelings with her. “He told me that he had loved it and that the confusion was because I know things about him that he himself had forgotten. I breathed easy.”
Far from what its title may seem, Riestra's book is a tribute to the Peruvian writer, as it covers a large part of his works, most of which "I have had to reread, thus discovering new perspectives that I did not capture at the time." . An exercise that Beatriz Navarro has also done, but with Dolly Parton songs. The journalist from La Vanguardia was subjected to some of the questions from La Contra that her colleague Lluís Amiguet asked her at La Casa del Libro on Rambla Catalunya on Tuesday. There she explained why he has dedicated a book to the famous country singer.
“When I arrived as a correspondent in the United States, Trump had just arrived in the country and the context was one of tension. However, Dolly Parton became a symbol, because she attracted both Americas. She was loved by the tycoon's voters, rockers, drag queens and feminists alike. Being an idol at that time was not easy at all, and she achieved it without difficulty.” The question in this case was asked by TV3 presenter Xavi Coral, with whom he shared a correspondent in Brussels, and who admitted not knowing until now how much Navarro was attracted to Parton's character. So much so that one weekend she went with her children to Dollywood, the artist's amusement park. “They probably would have preferred to go to Disneyland, but when they grow up they will thank me for having visited this very particular place.”
Navarro acknowledged that he had been thinking about writing about Dolly for a long time. “Perhaps I was expected to do another type of book that was more political or analytical, but this was the topic I really wanted to investigate. I think that before starting I already knew more about it than average, but I have found out fascinating things, I have had a good time. I was interested in getting to know this woman better who at first no one took seriously but who believed in herself and reached heaven. With her songs she found the freedom to talk about sex in a time when it was not common and with her look she showed that it doesn't matter how you look to embrace feminism.
Another literary presentation, although very different from the previous ones, deserves to be highlighted this week in Barcelona: the tribute to the senior writers of Catalan literature held in the Pompeu Fabra room of the Palau Marc, in the Ministry of Culture. A reception attended by the Minister of Culture, Natàlia Garriga, and the director of the Institute of Catalan Letters, Izaskun Arretxe.
The institution recognized the work that some authors who this year celebrate their 80th, 85th or 90th birthday, such as Joan Adell and Assumpció Cantalozella, have contributed to Catalan literature and culture. The latter assured that she was “very happy for this recognition of this entire generation, many of whom continue to write.”
Jordi Pàmies, for his part, recalled the hostile environment that existed during the Franco regime, “especially the writers”, as well as one of his first congratulations of his career. “It was neither more nor less than Pere Quart in 1969.” He was also happy to be able to meet “with other writers who have been fighting with letters for a long time and who have always wanted to create a work. “We all feel very grateful to be able to talk about it at key moments in later life,” he concluded.
