* The author is part of the community of La Vanguardia readers
Josep Pagès Martí (Barcelona 1945). He graduated in Economic Sciences from the University of Barcelona and is a member of the Institute of Financial Analysts of Spain. He is president of Prisma Asset Management, a company specialized in the management of investment funds, pension funds and SICAVs in Luxembourg.
The Letters from La Vanguardia readers section is one of the most read in the newspaper, making society aware of readers’ opinions on current issues, offering content of general interest and facts that, when reported, give rise to so that they can be corrected.
The aspects covered are varied and those responsible for this section receive a large number of letters daily that they have to read and select, ensuring that they are in tune with the editorial line of the newspaper and with what is understood to be of greatest interest at any given time.
It is evident that they are selfless collaborations, but that does not mean they refrain from participating, some very frequently, sharing their thoughts and feelings in the newspaper.
This is the case of Josep Pagès Martí, who has published 311 letters over 15 years and whom we ask to explain his beginnings, the topics he writes about, his experiences, the anecdotes and what it means to him to write and see a letter published in La Vanguardia.
Where does your love of readers’ letters come from?
I acquired it by reading those published by a co-worker, Agustí Bas, a regular participant in this section.
Do you remember the first one that was published?
On March 16, 2008, the first was published, titled, Don’t confuse us, which dealt with a topic of taxation.
And the last one?
This revolves around my 15-year-old granddaughter and the vocabulary that young people her age use today, Bro and rens, published last December 8, so “bro” would be an equivalent to brother, friend, and “rens” to interest, desire. This, in addition to the fact that at school they identify each other by the last two figures of the year they were born. I discovered then that I was a crazy 45 because of her grandchildren, that I have “cool bros” and not “rens” Pedro Sánchez.
How do you get inspiration to write?
It all starts when something worries you and you feel the need to share it. Until you write it down and send it to the newspaper you don’t feel liberated. Then you experience the excitement of waiting and seeing whether or not the letter has been published, until another concern and the need to write about it strikes you again. It is therefore a fantastic set of sensations with no end date.
Over these 15 years, what topics have been the subject of your attention?
They are diverse: those related to taxes, especially Inheritance, political opinion, complaints about problems in the city, peculiar situations with grandchildren, frivolities and also, about feelings and desires.
Is there a topic that has captured your interest the most?
For a long time my obsession was to write about the injustice of the Inheritance tax, and thanks to the number of letters published (more than fifteen), I was part of the group Prou ??Impost de Successions a Catalunya. This platform worked to obtain from the then president of the Generalitat, Artur Mas, the elimination of the tax, something he had promised in his electoral program.
If you had to choose the card that best conveys your feelings, which one would you quote?
Without a doubt, The Value of a Letter (10/11/2010) is the one that best conveys what I feel and motivates me to write, in which I express that letters are for me a means of expressing worries, concerns and denunciations, and the way of exposing a thought without more censorship than that which one prudently imposes on oneself.
And among the letters with complaints?
Incredible, published on 06/03/2010, which was read and commented on the radio by Antoni Bassas. It revealed what I had witnessed from inside a bar on Rosselló Street in Barcelona. It was a Saturday in June at 10 a.m. and next to me, quietly having breakfast at a table in front of the window, was a security guard from the blue zone. A car arrives and parks right in front of the bar, its driver gets out and heads to the tobacco shop on the other side of the street. The security guard, without moving from his table, issues a complaint, since the car was in the blue zone, runs out, places it on the windshield and returns to the bar. Since the driver of the car parked it, he entered the tobacconist’s shop and left, no more than 3 minutes passed, but he already had the fine. I was surprised and when I discussed it with the waiters, they told me: “Every day he does the same thing.”
Of those that we can classify as “frivolous”, any in particular?
Yes, the joy of the shower (06/13/2011), after explaining the controversy my wife and I had when choosing the shower screen, I preferred it transparent and she preferred it opaque. Finally, we agreed on a combination of both options so that, from outside the shower, there would also be joy. Upon receiving it in the La Vanguardia editorial office, the head of the section called me, congratulating me on how funny the letter was, how much she had made the department laugh, and announcing that it would be published first on Monday. The place that the letter occupies is significant, as it indicates the importance that the newspaper gives it.
Where would you classify the letter published on 02/04/2012 titled El fuet with or without skin?
Amused, it was the subject of an article in the newspaper, commenting that my paternal grandfather’s father had had a well-known restaurant on Las Ramblas and where King Alfonso XIII had eaten. Regarding the fuet that was served in the aperitif, the theory was that it should be cut very thin and with skin so that the diners would have fun taking it out, rather than eating it, and thus not lose their appetite for the main meal, which was what was interesting. Apparently, Alfonso XIII was very skilled at removing the skin from the fuet, but that didn’t mean he lost his appetite.
Tell us about any letters of peculiar situations?
One of the latest letters that have been published to me titled, The Whorehouse (01/16/2023), highlights the danger of car navigators that remind you of the routes you usually take. In January of this year, my wife and I went by car to Puigcerdà and when we arrived a notice appeared in the navigator indicating the kilometers distance and arrival time to a “whorehouse” there. building where I go to work daily. Without a doubt, a compromising situation, but it had no consequences, because my wife knows me well. This letter was the reason for journalist Joaquín Luna to write an article, highlighting the danger that this situation would have posed for a young couple who did not have so much trust.
Could you tell us some anecdotes?
The day the elimination of the Inheritance tax for certain cases was approved, I received a call from TV3, asking if I was happy with the news and offering me an interview, which I refused. “But he will write something showing his satisfaction,” they insisted. And the next day, 04/07/2011, the letter, Artur Más fulfills, was published, although the original title was A long-awaited wish.
Do you want to convey a message for Letters from Readers?
The passion for writing letters is an important part of my life and I ask La Vanguardia to continue to support me and consider whether or not to publish the many that I send you. But there are so many things to denounce and explain that I cannot suppress the desire to send them to you with the hope and interest of seeing them published and for my opinion to shed light on issues that many are unaware of. And for the readers, Happy Holidays, a 2024 full of Health, Peace and Happiness!
Likewise. It has been a pleasure.