"The people of Barcelona and Catalonia have always supported the losing side."

Guadalajara (Mexico)The International Book Fair (FIL) opened its doors just a day and a half ago, but the sheer number of events and emotions experienced in the Barcelona pavilion is overwhelming. On Saturday afternoon, Roger Mas delighted passersby with a performance of three songs, including a magnificent adaptation of a poem by Jacint Verdaguer: "Exile feels long to me / I'm being taken to the other shore / my eyes are sleepy / and walking tires me." WalkingPart of the Catalan delegation of authors, editors, agents, and journalists still bore the marks of the long transoceanic journey on their faces.

Even so, exceptional circumstances, such as having Barcelona as the guest city at the fair, allow one to draw strength from unexpected corners. The dialogue between Ingrid Guardiola and Susanna Rafart on the power of metaphor in the age of algorithms—an evolution of what Shoshana Zuboff, years ago, christened "surveillance capitalism"—both amazed and unsettled the audience. And the heartfelt tribute to Montserrat Roig, delivered by journalist Begoña Gómez Urzaiz, editor Maria Riu, and writer and journalist Gemma Ruiz Palà, culminated in the best possible reward: many attendees went on to buy some of the books by the much-missed author ofCherry season and The violet hour

On Sunday morning, Núria Cadenes—whose suitcase was lost at Madrid airport—gave an overview of the work of some essential authors of the 20th-century Catalan literary canon: she began with Víctor Català and moved on to Aurora Bertrana and Irene Polo before arriving at Mercè. Afterwards, a round table discussion on "unique motherhoods" was held, based on the perspective of Elisenda Solsona. MamaliaBegoña Gómez Urzaiz in The abandoners and Gemma Ruiz Palà in Our mothers.

Eduardo Mendoza's history lesson

Eduardo Mendoza was introduced as one of the "highlights of the Barcelona delegation," in the words of Marisol Schulz, general director of the FIL (Guadalajara International Book Fair), before the thousand attendees who filled the fair's main auditorium. "I've been invited because I'm one of the last representatives of the golden age of literary Barcelona, the era of the Boom," Mendoza began, dedicating the bulk of his speech to describing the city "avoiding databases, which surely only say false things." "Barcelona is feminine, and it is for a vacuous reason: because the ending -to "It's assigned to that genre," he continued. "This detail conditions the way we see the city. Just remember that campaign..." Barcelona, ​​get beautifulAt that time, there were no protests from any group, even though we were asking her to put on makeup, lose weight, and go out and find a partner.

The author of The City of Wonders He traveled back to Barcelona's Iberian origins, and from there moved on to the Carthaginians, Phoenicians, and Romans. "It's not a city with a large natural harbor, nor does it have great resources, but it has been convenient as a stopover on the way to other places," Mendoza admitted. Shortly after, with his gentle irony, the writer added: "Barcelona residents and Catalans have always bet on the losing side." He quickly qualified his words: "Barcelona has known how to learn from defeats: instead of being discouraged, it tries another path."

After the Romans came the Visigoths and, later, the Arabs: "Their most important legacy was the use of a word to refer to it, Barshaluna"It was in the Middle Ages that Barcelona managed to become a city "of some importance, thanks to maritime trade, wool, and wines and spirits, which are always in demand." "They built churches, shipyards, palaces... and a horrible cathedral there," he lamented. The city then entered a long period of decline. In 1714, once the War of the Spanish Succession was over, in which they again sided "with the losing side," King Philip V decided to strangle the people of Barcelona with taxes, and even when he reduced them, the citizens continued to work beyond their means. "He was sending [a letter/report] during a trip around the Iberian Peninsula," he stated, shortly before referring to another distinctive trait of the city's inhabitants and, by extension, of the entire country: "We Catalans always complain, even when there's no reason to."

The Dragons of Barcelona and the Boom

Mendoza also dedicated a significant part of his presentation to the relationship between Cervantes' Don Quixote and the city. "The book contains words that have gone down in history,"Barcelona, ​​archive of courtesy, haven for foreigners (...) and in location and beauty, unique“Which are the exact opposite of what was happening at that time,” he said. From Cervantes, he moved on to the rise of the bourgeoisie during the 19th century and the taste for architectural modernism: “One of its particularities is that it has medieval reminiscences, because Barcelona has never forgotten the splendor of that era. Barcelona is full of dragons on the buildings, just as my friend and writer Carlos Ruiz Zafón remembered.” Mendoza didn't forget the anarchist period, “tremendously violent,” which earned it the lyrical name of “the rose of fire.” From there, he moved on to the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, the Second Republic. Alongside the losers, a long period of darkness began, which didn't end until fifty years ago,” he specified. “There is nothing sadder than a civil war, because everyone had victims on one side or the other.” At this point, he mentioned that the important literature of that time was written “in exile, both in Spanish and in Catalan.”

Mendoza's historical journey continued "with subsequent development and prosperity. Latin Americans like Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Guillermo Cabrera Infante. Even though the dictatorship was still in place, people talked about whatever they wanted, and it was a party: Barcelona has rarely been so much fun." Jumping into the advertising campaign of Barcelona, ​​get beautiful Later, Mendoza explained that for the past few decades, "the city has been designed with tourists in mind," in contrast to the hostility toward foreigners it had previously shown. "It's a city with a good climate, it's not very big, it's quiet, and it also has its seedy side for those who want to see it. More recently, as a result of the pandemic, when remote work became popular, many people also decided to come and live here. They are what we call..." exados“This is Barcelona today: it has advantages and disadvantages, although I'm not the right person to talk about it,” he admitted.

Mendoza dedicated the final minutes of his speech to demonstrating that “Barcelona is a very literary city, because in many novels it has become a protagonist in the story.” He then mentioned, The City of WondersDedicated to "the construction of the modern city." "At that time, writing a book like this wasn't fashionable, and without meaning to, we were creating it," he said. "After this novel, other excellent ones followed. You'll hear about them in the coming days," Mendoza assured, without specifying any. And after a glance at his phone, he realized it was time to say goodbye to the audience, some 600 people, who applauded him enthusiastically, as is their custom.