Writer Carles Rebassa complains that no institution in Barcelona or Mallorca has congratulated him on the Sant Jordi prize

PalmThe Mallorcan Carles Rebassa, winner of the Sant Jordi award for the novel Prometheus of a Thousand Ways, has criticized on social media the lack of institutional recognition after obtaining this award, one of the most prestigious in Catalan literature, convened annually by Òmnium Cultural, an entity dedicated to the defense of the Catalan language and culture.

In a tweet, Rebassa directly expressed his displeasure: "I don't know what's going on. More than a week after Sant Jordi, not a single institutional representative, from Barcelona or Mallorca, has congratulated me. What's going on?"

Upon receiving the award, the writer and poet made a resounding defense of Catalan. He criticized the language for receiving "continuous attacks" from many sectors of society, "from the courts to the Senate, Parliament, schools, doctors, and even cafes." For this reason, he demanded stronger measures and argued that "legislation is needed to make Catalan essential for living in the Catalan Countries."

As reported by journalist Bruno Rodríguez in this newspaper, Rebassa stated during his speech: "We are here because we have this language. If we had another, we would be something else, but we have neither that nor are we here." Along these lines, he insisted that "without language there is no country, no books, no projects, no stories, no strategies, nothing," and added that "without Catalan, we are not here; the rest is lies."

The author also dedicated part of his speech to the city of Palma, which he considers to be undergoing a profound transformation. "It's a portrait of a city I love very much because it's my city," he noted, though also describing it as "colonized, destroyed, devastated, and sunk." During the event, Rebassa explained that the novel addresses "the class struggle, the coexistence of masters and servants," and also how love and desire can turn human relationships upside down. All of this unfolds within a context that, according to the author, reflects the effects of economic and tourist speculation on the city.