Just over a century ago, the Catalans –a large part of the Catalans– We didn't know how to read. "In the 18th and 19th centuries, 70% of the population of Catalonia was illiterate, so for most citizens, information was transmitted orally or through images," explained historian Borja de Riquer at the Palau Requesens in Barcelona, headquarters of the Royal Academy of Belles Lettres, an institution he presides over. He added: "Let's not be nostalgic. People lived worse; living conditions were much worse." De Riquer's voice carries weight. He is a scholar who has deeply studied the history of Catalonia over the last few centuries. He coordinated the voluminous book (weighing in at one and a half kilos!). The memory of the Catalans, the reason for the passionate conversation he had with the deputy director of the ARA, Ignasi Aragay, at an event of Premium Club from the newspaper.