If it is Sant Jordi, the writers have breakfast at the Palau de la Virreina, a snack to gain strength and cheer up, a place that gives rise to reunions, given the concentration of letters per square meter. Coffee, croissants -the orange ones triumphed-, xuixos, and a few words of encouragement, first from the mayoress Ada Colau: “Let’s celebrate life, we deserve this Sant Jordi more than ever”, and also from this year’s announcer, Gemma Ruiz, who recalled a dinner with international authors whom she envied for the means available to them to become professional, but then she told them about this party, and of course: “With this I won the game.”
The author of Les nostres mares (Proa) had started the day very early, because at 8:30 a.m. the winners of the three Grup 62 awards had met to have a preview at the Farga cafeteria. There Ruiz told that she had prepared three pens that her mother gave her: “I hope to use them all.” She also carries a banana and walnuts to gain strength, and there she agrees with Gemma Ventura: “I always carry walnuts in my bag.” The author of La llei de l’hivern (Destiny) was excited: “As my book was awarded on Three Kings Day, it is touched by magic, and last night I felt like a girl the night you wait for gifts. And the gift is today. She also carries Andreu Claret nuts, prepared with brand new ballpoint pens: “With these I don’t have to press too hard when signing. On a day like today you would want to establish contact, but if there is a queue it is not possible… but we prefer that there be queues, of courseâ€, commented the author of ParÃs érem nosaltres (Column).
In the Virreina, with about 200 people, there were also authors such as Flavia Company, Eduard Márquez, Carlota Gurt, Ponç Pons, Jordi Cabré, Maria Escalas, Melcior Comes, Eulà lia Sariola, Carlos Zanón, Toni Aira, Mercedes Abad or Oriol Malet, later to get up with his family at the Palace hotel (where he will sign in the afternoon). The poet Meritxell Cucurella-Jorba claimed poetry: “Poets are fair animals, but even more attractive”.
There have also been the Minister of Labor, Yolanda DÃaz, enchanted by the party, or the writer and screenwriter David Trueba, the director of the Institution of Catalan Letters, Izaskun Arretxe, or the poet and president of the Fundació Joan Brossa, the trafficker of ideas Vicenç Altaió.
And then, now, everyone to sign.
