How do you become a writer? How far does the vocation go and how far does a story drag you? Or are you just there? This same week there have been examples of all kinds: a celebrated author who republishes a book, a young woman who abandons one vocation to embrace another, a man who feels that the world must know the history of his lineage and a poet walking with a book in his hand.
It's Tuesday and Antoni Munné-Jordà presents Obaga Entre Sant Peters i Sant Pau (Males Herbes) at the bookstore. The publisher Ramon Mas - has just published Inventari d'affinitats. Three drifts through Catalan literature of the 20th century in the Dedalus library of the Bloom i Periscopi School–, remember that Munné-Jordà is a great referent in Catalan of fantastic literature, but also a great writer in works that are not genre. And the fact is that the book was a finalist for the Sant Jordi prize in 1995 and was published shortly after, but it did not have the expected response.
The author talks to Míriam Cano about the experience of writing a novel about one's own life, because the book portrays the complex relationship of a son with a father, who went to the Azul Division – an episode that he narrates in the twin book Dins of the river, among the reeds - and the effects that this entails: living the guilt for a past that is not his. The relationships between parents and children, always. The fiction serves him to portray an inherited fear and shame and at the same time to narrate the Barcelona of the sixties and seventies, which evolves - so does the language - at the same rate as the characters, but "doesn't lose the constants".
The same city, but the one of today, is the scene of Fusta i resina (Columna), the first novel by Ofèlia Carbonell and which opens the Brunzits collection directed by Juliana Canet and with which she starts a new professional facet On Wednesday, at the Ona bookshop, the editor Glòria Gasch explains that one day Canet confessed to her that what she would like to do is to be an editor, that as a child she said she wanted to "work from reading". Gasch replied that the trade is learned by doing it: "You have to give birth to a collection". Said and done: Brunzits was born, says Canet, "to give voice to talented people who want to find their place in the world", and also to "reach people who don't read and are missing out on a fantastic world". Focused on young people, but not only. Canet first thought of Ofèlia Carbonell, member of the podcast Gent de merda and columnist in digital media after having trained as a cellist. And yes, she didn't consider herself a writer until now. And yes, the novel is his farewell to what was a great vocation. The book traces the life of a violin student and the joys, miseries and sacrifices to make ends meet by making music: "It is self-fiction, yes, at times self-fiction and at other times fiction, because most situations have not past, but it is the general picture of what I have experienced". Draw a Barcelona where the loneliness you feel when you don't fit in prevails. "Studying music is very lonely, too," he explains.
Will it read? Canet and Carbonell arouse interest and the bookshop is full to the brim with an average age that must be under 30 years old – some of us make it go up – and young people keep coming in, who stay upright. There are also the other Gent de Merda, Paula Carreras, Rita Roig and Clàudia Rius – current head of press for Culture of the Generalitat. But the author emphasizes that "you don't have to be young or have this happen to you to enjoy it, I read Harry Potter and I don't have magic!".
The next day, the music continues with an author who carries a story inside in the most unexpected presentation. Every year a party is held at Elrow House to celebrate the arrival of Sónar, and on Thursday they take advantage of the opportunity to present the book of the patriarch, Juan Arnau, Bailar en el desierto (Grijalbo), which narrates the origins of the dance, with Arnau's great-grandfather, who opened the Josepet cafe in 1870 in Fraga, where they lived and which will be the origin of the family business: later a cinema and then the Florida135 nightclub, until reaching the Monegres raves and parties which today Elrow organizes worldwide. A party presentation with people from the music and audiovisual world, such as Carlos Bayona – the filmmaker's twin, yes, he is a DJ and music producer – or Alicia Reginato, from La Chula Productions. The book is presented by the publisher, Ana Caballero, Arnau's sons - he prefers to cede the spotlight - Juan and Cruz - today they are the ones who carry the weight of the business - and the director of Elrow, Vicenç Martí. The story of a family that has dedicated itself for six generations to making others enjoy themselves through the party. They still do and it shows.
I leave with electronic music stuck in my brain to go to the Ona de Gràcia to listen to Jordi Llavina, who is presenting his Carles Riba award, Un llum que crema (Proa). It is full and hot, there are the writers Jordi Fernando and Jordi Puntí and the musical director Josep Prats. After Llavina guides us through the poems, through fields, and makes us feel that "poetry is alive", her nephews Rita and Genís Arnal, voice and guitar, perform some songs. Every word, every music, every artist finds its place.
