Tribute to Mercè Rodoreda. Catalonia’s most universal author

Mercè Ibarz, Colm Tóibín

Moderator: Elisabet Goula

It’s no coincidence that we chose a quote from Mercè Rodoreda (1908–1983), “Vindran les flors” [The Flowers Will Come], as the theme for Barcelona’s participation in the FIL. After all, she’s one of our most admired and beloved authors. Translated into over forty languages, the author of La plaça del Diamant [translated into English as The Pigeon Girl, The Time of the Doves and In Diamond Square] Aloma, Mirall trencat [A Broken Mirror] and La mort i la primavera [Death in Spring] is a key figure in both Catalan and world literature. Fascinating scholars to no end, she was able to combine beauty and unease, symbolism and tradition, fragility and strength. Often preceded by the myths about her life, Rodoreda was a woman of great complexity whose short story collections, novels and theatre made her one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century.