'Bubotes', the out-of-print masterpiece by Antoni Mus, returns to bookstores after a laborious reissue

ManacorIn Mallorca, in Manacor, ghosts are called bubotas. They are those specters (sometimes physical, sometimes eternally haunting) that disturb the present, turning the everyday into a painful and difficult-to-manage ordeal. In 1977, shortly after Franco's death, Antoni Mus (Felanitx, 1925–Manacor, 1982) was brave enough to tell, in a novel, the story of the Bubotas of the Civil War in Manacor, the landing on the coast, and the lingering effects of the subsequent years of repression.

"It addresses uncomfortable topics with a very peculiar, very powerful style, with impactful prose. It's one of those books that grabs you and you can't put down, and it also has its own particular sense of humor," explains Fausto Puerto, manager of the bookstore and of Edicions Món de Llibre. He's also responsible for bringing the book back into print after years of being out of print. "We realized it was very difficult to find. Maybe you'd be lucky and find a secondhand copy in a bookstore... and that couldn't continue," he continues.

Although Puerto prefers to speak of shared credit. "The real driving forces behind this are Llorenç Carreres (in charge of proofreading and editing) and Tomeu Matamalas (who picked up his pencils and ink again to illustrate several pages)." Carreres himself recalls the arduous process leading to the final result: "The text didn't exist beyond the book; there wasn't a Word document, so to speak. So we had to scan it page by page, then convert the PDF back and make the corrections, which were minimal."

Everywhere

The rights to the novel, which had already expired, belong to the family, who were delighted to give a second life to what is possibly Antoni Mus's best work. At least that's what Josep Maria Llompart, the book's original author of the prologue, says. He also reappears in the opening pages of this new edition, of which 500 copies have been printed "that will be distributed everywhere, to all the bookstores in Mallorca and Catalonia," says Puerto, proud of this opportunity.

BubotasThe book, which will officially go on sale on December 8th, will be presented to the public by Carreres and Matamalas at the Mallorquín School four days later, on December 12th, coinciding with the centenary of Mus's birth. Specifically, it will be presented during the series Antoni Mus, brief light, eternal trace, a program of events organized by the Manacor City Council with which the municipality commemorates the 100th anniversary of the birth of Antoni Mus i López (Felanitx, 1925 – Manacor, 1982), novelist, playwright and one of the voices of Catalan literature of the 20th century.

The celebration will take place on December 12th and 13th, with literary, musical, and theatrical activities that aim to reconnect the public with the creative force and enduring relevance of his legacy, as well as reveal lesser-known facets of the author. The series has been designed to bring Antoni Mus's literary universe to life in diverse, open, and participatory spaces. The Manacor City Council has reminded the public that to attend any of the events programmed for the series... Antoni Mus, brief light, eternal trace Prior registration is required through the website.

Writer and theatre director, Antoni Mus y López began as a playwright and director with works such asThe lions(1975) andFear(1977). He also published the volumes of narrativesThe weeping man(1967, City of Manacor Award),Diaphora(1975),The complaints(1976) andBubotas(1977). With the novelLife and Miracles of Aineta of the Mattresses(1977) won the Víctor Català prize and withThe lady(1979), the Sant Jordi. He died in 1982, before he was 60 years old.