On November 27, the Círculo Ecuestre celebrated a new episode of the series of talks Barcelona through its writers with Javier Cercas as the protagonist.
After the presentation by the president of the Círculo Ecuestre, Enrique Lacalle, the novelist, academic and recently appointed member of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), engaged in a dialogue with Xavier Ayén, editor-in-chief of Culture at La Vanguardia.
The talk, which provided an immersion in the thought and work of one of the most prominent authors of contemporary literature, served to dismantle myths about the figure of the writer, who reflected on the role of the author in society and his connection with readers.
"A writer can be anything but an idiot", Cercas said during his interview, later clarifying that writers, in addition to creating, have the responsibility to commit to their time. Regarding the popular ego of the profession, the writer argued that great authors disappear in their works, allowing the reader to be the true protagonist. "The ego is the worst thing a writer can have", Cercas clarified, and then highlighted the importance of reader interpretation, stating that "masterpieces are not made by writers, they are made by attentive and patient readers".
Asked about his recent appointment as a member of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), Javier Cercas shared the following with the audience: "I never had the pretension of being an academic. The director of the Academy called me and, although I resisted at first, he ended up convincing me". In addition, he described the institution as a mix between tradition and modernity: "The RAE is part of the best tradition of this country. All the Nobel Prizes have been there. Likewise, it has very fixed protocols and traditions. It must be renewed". "I, for example, read a speech that was a manifesto, which is nothing less academic," he noted.
In the framework of the dialogue held at the Círculo Ecuestre, Cercas explained some details about his latest work, El loco de Dios en Mongolia, the fruit of a unique experience accompanying Pope Francis on a trip to Mongolia: "It is a book about the Christian legacy in an increasingly secular world. What do we do with our Christian heritage? This is the question that guides the story". The author described the work as "a mixture of genres: essay, biography, autobiography and chronicle, but above all a thriller whose central enigma is the greatest of all: God and eternal life".
The colloquium was also full of humor and personal anecdotes among which the Barcelona writer said the following: "I imagine Cervantes as the most humble man in the world. The best writers I have known are the most modest".
Regarding his social position, Cercas said that he has never been able to hide his thoughts: "I don't know how not to do it. In the hardest moments in Catalonia, although I knew that it could bring me problems, I couldn't keep quiet". Continuing with the political theme, he spoke about his meeting with Macron, of which he said the following: "It's incredible how French politicians read. When Macron asked me to talk about my books, it was an honour and a sign of the prestige that culture has in France".
Cercas closed the talk with a reflection on literature and its place in the world: "The true immortality of literature is anonymity. What matters is not who wrote the great phrases, but that they are now part of all of us".
The event reaffirmed the commitment of the Círculo Ecuestre to the dissemination of culture and the promotion of intellectual debate, being an essential event for literature lovers.