Mariàngela Vilallonga coordinates University of Girona tribute to Catalan writer Teresa Juvé

Acto homenaje a Teresa JuvéMariàngela Vilallonga, director of the Chair of Literary Heritage Maria Àngels Anglada-Carles Fages de Climent of the University of Girona, vice-president of the Institute of Catalan Studies and full academician of the Royal European Academy of Doctors-Barcelona 1914 (RAED), coordinated on March 8, International Women’s Day, the act of tribute that the Unity of Commitment of the University of Girona and the Chair itself rendered to the Catalan writer Teresa Juvé, victim of exile and Francoist repression. The day was held at the University Rectorate under the presidency of the rector, Joaquim Salvi, and the presence of Juvé herself, who besides thanking the tribute made various assessments on the issues discussed.

The central act consisted of a round table that entitled “Teresa Juvé: acció, pensament, escriptura” (Teresa Juvé: action, thinking, writing). It was attended by the writer and editor Carme Arenas; the director of the Memorial Museum of Exile in La Jonquera, Jordi Font, and the also writer Maria Mercè Roca. Vilallonga invited them to reflect aloud on the life journey of Teresa Juvé, the war, the exile, the return to Catalonia, memory and commitment through literature, style, language, current affairs and the validity of his work, located mainly in two periods, the 16th century and the exile, and in various areas: the detective novel, the historical novel and the memorialist genre.

Teresa Juvé

Teresa Juvé

“Teresa Juvé, at 98 years old, remains a fighting woman, lucid and committed to the country, with the rights of women, with freedom of expression, with education, with what is fair… as well as an indefatigable writer”, said Vilallonga in her speech. The academician wanted to highlight a phrase from her latest novel, “L’arbre trencat” (The broken tree), published this year: “This is the truth, you can not confuse history and life, history is outside, life is inside” .The homage concluded with a dramatized reading of the work of Juvé “L’aiguamort a la ciutat” (The marsh in the city) by the Theatre Classroom of the University of Girona.