Mariàngela Vilallonga, minister of Culture of Catalan Government and full academician of the Royal European Academy of Doctors-Barcelona 1914 (RAED), presided the relay of the dean of the Institution of Catalan Letters, Isabel-Clara Simó, by Margarida Aritzeta the past March 14 in Marc Palace in Barcelona, headquarters of the Ministry of Culture. The event took place just a week before Vilallonga took office as minister to replace Laura Borràs.
The academician explained an episode with which she wanted to define Simó’s courage and initiative: the launch of the literary magazine “Canigó” during the Franco regime. And for that she recovered an article by Maria Àngels Anglada published in the newspaper “El9Nou” in 1987 under the title “Una alcoiana intrèpida” (An intrepid woman from Alcoi). “It is, undeniably, Isabel-Clara Simó. It took courage to promote, during the Franco regime, the magazine ‘Canigó’, which she did with exemplary dedication along with her husband, Xavier Dalfó. Finally, the economic doldrums ended with ‘Canigó’. Since then, Isabel had written several books of narrative, between the ones that highlight ‘És quan dormo que hi veig clar’ (When I sleep is when I see clearly) and the excellent novel ‘Júlia’, now surprises the readers who were waiting for it with a biography of Mosén Cinto, by our Jacint Verdaguer, from the magazine ‘Canigó’ to the author of the poem ‘Canigó'”, read the review.
“Courage has never abandoned Isabel-Clara Simó, nor coherence -Vilallonga continued-. She has been and is a staunch defender of the land, the Catalan language, the Catalan Countries, the rights of women, of individual and collective freedoms, of progressive politics… A committed woman who always says what she thinks, who always commits, brave, lucid, ironic. Isabel-Clara Simó, we are very proud of you. We will miss your considerations without detours in the meetings of the Institution. Long live the Dean!”.
