Òscar Andreu: "Hopefully the book will be like a Viagra for the language"

BarcelonaAbsolute success for the comedian and communicator Òscar Andreu this Sant Jordi with Manual de defensa del català (Univers): he started signing at the Plataforma per la Llengua stand and a queue of about a hundred people formed. The book was released on April 7th with an edition of 16,500 copies. At Plataforma per la Llengua, it has sold out. While a reader told him family stories related to learning Catalan, Andreu didn't look up from the book and continued signing non-stop. Impossible to talk to him. “I like his humor, and everything related to language interests me,” says a reader, Carles Vila. “Long live Catalan and long live Catalonia!” exclaim a couple, Miquel and Emma, while Òscar Andreu signs their copy.

Second attempt: the Central stand on Mallorca street with rambla de Catalunya. About sixty people are waiting for him. Before Andreu arrives, two booksellers realize they have run short. The public greets him with applause and whistles, and as soon as he sits down, the press agent accompanying him warns that he will not be able to answer questions, but offers an alternative: interview him on the street while he goes to Palau Robert to participate in the program Versió RAC 1 with Antoni Clapés. Done. Òscar Andreu going on the radio means many people miss out on an autograph. A reader is not resigned and approaches him, interrupting the conversation. “Just sign it for me, you don't need to put any name!” “Then your name will be Manel,” replies Andreu, between resigned and witty. “No, no, put Lluís, please,” the follower corrects. Problem solved.

The walk continues. At La Central, there were also many couples asking for a joint dedication. Has Manual de defensa del català become an unexpected conjugal stimulant? “I hope the book has a stimulating effect on couples, because that would be the ultimate marketing coup,” jokes Andreu. “Imagine if, in addition, it helps couples have a good vibe. It's like a Viagra, right? A Viagra for the language,” he emphasizes.

Manual de defensa del català is Òscar Andreu's second book, after the collection of short stories Com es bull una granota i altres relats (Contra). That is, a turn in his career. And success has caught him by surprise. “I expected it, but not this much, honestly. That's the thing. I knew I had touched a nerve, but I have the feeling I've touched it with both hands and feet,” says the author.

"Pessimism will get us nowhere"

While signing, readers have told him many personal stories. "I have signed for people from Colombia who speak Catalan, for people from Ecuador who speak Catalan, for people from Sigüenza who speak Catalan, for a woman from Madrid who speaks Catalan, for people who had started speaking Catalan and who defend it as if it were their language —he explains—. And this, of course, does not correspond much with what they often sell us. There are many interested people. We just need to get to it. And, above all, that those who have responsibilities act with consequence, with responsibility." He says he is "very happy." "I have the feeling that the language is at a turning point, that pessimism will lead us nowhere and that a dose of optimism and solidity and a left hand and asking for responsibilities from those in power will take us very far, because the language is us, the language is the country," he adds.

For Òscar Andreu, this Sant Jordi is "brutal," but getting here has not been entirely easy. "I prepare for it with a bit of insomnia, thinking about how I will do it, how I will go from one place to another, what I will write, how I will be dressed, if I will be presentable, if the text will be up to the people's expectations, if it will really stir consciences, I think a lot about it all, because it's a way of not focusing on one thing in particular and not losing my mind," he concludes.