1. On Saturday night, at the MNAC, We celebrate the Night of Catalan LiteratureIt's been 75 years since three hundred brave souls locked themselves inside the Catalonia bookstore to celebrate a clandestine literary festival. Here's a historical fact, from 1951, to remind us that the Catalan language, culture, and freedom have weathered far worse times, and we've persevered. For those of us who are nostalgic by nature, the tradition of Saint Lucy's Night was already quite fitting. Just before Christmas, the most prestigious literary prizes were announced, and a couple of months later, the books went on sale. It was a very guild-like celebration, for the guild. Now it's different. Even those of us who, on Saturday, looked askance at this new festival invented by Òmnium, the Institut d'Estudis Catalans, and TV3, should tip our hats. As Xavier Antich said, never before in history has such a powerful communicative act about Catalan literature been broadcast. Our literature needs to shed its inferiority complex and embrace ambition, joy, and self-respect. If the world of books is the spearhead of our cultural industry, it was about time that was reflected in prime time. In this respect, and although everything can be improved, Saturday's event achieved its goal.

As I left the National Palace, Raimon's verse came to mind: "We are many more than they want and say." The power, the elegance, and the harmony of the words and accents of the Catalan language, which are heard millions of times every day, They gathered at a gala that slipped in precisely And it was our place in the world for one night.

In such audiovisual and stressful times, reading has become a singular and almost revolutionary act. It goes against the grain. Reading time is precious, requiring willpower and determination. "Do you have time to read? Gosh! How do you do it?" people ask me. I reply: "Don't you have time to read? Gosh! How do you do it?"