Lluís-Xavier Flores: "The defense of the Catalan language and culture should not be solely the responsibility of the capitals."

Last December, philologist, museologist, and cultural manager Lluís-Xavier Flores Abat (Alicante, 1975) took over the reins of Litterarum, the Literary Fair of Móra d'Ebre, and the Ebrenc Book Fair. These events will run from Friday, May 23rd to Sunday, May 25th, with events and awards. We spoke with Flores about the changes he's introduced to the event, which is now in its 18th year and offers many new features as it comes of age.

How was your time as director of Litterarum?

— I'm a philologist by training, and I'm also a heritage manager. I've been organizing festivals for 25 years, first in the Valencian Community, and thirteen years ago, I started Ebrefolk in Móra. I was used to management, and Litterarum interested me because I'm a philologist.

What changes have you made?

— First, I wanted to open the fair to the two indigenous and official languages of Catalonia; therefore, Occitan as well. And I wanted to ensure there was real representation of the entire Catalan-speaking region, of the Catalan-speaking world. Most of the fair's products are from Catalonia, and I was interested in having products from Valencia and the Balearic Islands also reach Catalonia.

Do we have more Balearic and Valencian production in this edition of Litterarum?

— Of course! We've made it more balanced. We've gone from thirteen shows each year to twenty. There are seven from Valencia and two from the Balearic Islands. Until now, there was one of each. There are two from Aragon, where there's an interesting production. And one from Aragon. The rest are Catalan. We've also gone from one exhibition to six, from all over the country. One is by the Writer of the Year of the Generalitat of Catalonia and the Balearic Government, Josep Maria Llompart, and, from now on, we'll also include the Writer of the Year of the Valencian Academy of Language, this year Maria Irene Beneyto. We have two exhibitions by Vicent Andrés Estellés: one on the twenty years since the death of Jesús Moncada and the other on the language on the banks of the river, on Ebrenca words, to reclaim Western speech.

And the second novelty?

— We're doubling the prizes. We're now including the first Catalan Poetry Awards for Urban Music, designed for young people who are creating versions of Catalan poems with contemporary music. It's organized by Versembrant and Plataforma por la Lengua. The Institute of Balearic Studies, Rovira i Virgili University, the Tarragona Provincial Council, the Aragonese Academy of Language, and the Valencian Academy of Language have also joined as sponsors.

They have created two sub-branches.

— Yes, one in the Valencian Community and another in Matarraña, which will remain in Calaceite. The first will begin this year in Morella but will tour the regions of Els Ports and Baix Maestrat. Regional organizations such as Bat a Bat, Mestral Viu, and the Els Ports Study Center are also participating in the fair.

What kind of shows will people find at Litterarum?

— There's also poetry set to music, theater, street theater, clowns, puppets, storytelling set to music... This year we're incorporating dance, which we consider very important but is always difficult to program because it's expensive and most of us are beginners. There's a wide variety. We're maintaining the Litterarum Petit brand, with six shows aimed at children. And we're strengthening our program for young people.

Are young people a challenge?

— They are the great challenge. free style It's one of the keys to attracting young people from Catalonia to our literature. There are two activities for them. One is from the Versembrant Collective, a theater show with poetry, urban music, and a DJ reviewing twenty poets. And the other is the presentation of the Catalan Poetry Awards for Urban Music, organized by Versembrant and the Platform for Language, which are here to stay.

They hold a show in a hospital.

— There's a recent trend in museology to link exhibitions or events with mental health and general health. We're kicking off the fair with an activity aimed at patients, gardens at the Regional Hospital, and through the Cuid'Art humanization program at this healthcare center. It is very interesting and I say this from my point of view as a museologist.

The 18th Litterarum also marks the 22nd Ebrenc Book Festival.

— Twenty-five books will be presented by 25 authors, and 2,000 will be on sale. There will be two roundtables dedicated to libraries, coordinated by the Regional Library, that will cover artificial intelligence and literary mediation. And a third roundtable will feature singer-songwriters from across the Catalan-speaking world. Seven in total. Montse Castellà and Cesc Freixes will be there for Catalonia, Aina Monferrer and Vicent Ferrer from Al Tall for Valencia, and Aragón will also be there with Anton Abad, Víctor Planells from Ibiza, and Roger Puigbó from Andorra. We're missing Northern Catalonia and Alghero.

Is the fact that it is being held in Móra d'Ebre, far from Barcelona, ​​​​a point for or against the fair?

— It's a positive point, because the defense of the Catalan language and culture shouldn't be limited to the capitals. We're in the middle of the Catalan-speaking territory. There have been attempts to adapt it to Barcelona and the Catalunya Vella region, and, as a Valencian resident of Terres de l'Ebre, it pains me deeply. We're in the region with the highest rate of Catalan use. We must continue to strive to establish Terres de l'Ebre as a place of unity for the Catalan-speaking territories. We have great potential.