When I Sing, Mountains Dance

"Yes, among other prizes she won the European Union Prize for Literature in 2020 for this book. I am in love with Irene Solà’s writing. It is beyond belief, her talent. When you listen to her in interviews, she seems like an interesting author, and she talks about her literature, but it’s trivial compared to her written words. I haven’t read anyone comparing her to Mercè Rodoreda, but I think she’s the 21st-century Mercè Rodoreda. She’s so young and so talented. She’s been translated into I don’t know how many languages already with this book. The Granta edition is beautiful. For the co-curation I’ve been doing of the Catalan Spotlight Programme, I’ve been speaking with Max Porter who adores her work, as does Daisy Johnson . Who wouldn’t? She is a talent. If you haven’t read her you must. You absolutely must read this book. They say it’s a novel. I guess you have to put her somewhere in a genre, but it doesn’t feel like a novel. The book does have a Catalan flair. She collects traditional Catalan folk stories and transforms them into contemporary stories set in the mountains, in the Pyrenees. In the book, she gives voice to the clouds, or a ghost, or a young deer and they have the same intensity, the same built identity, as a human narrator. They have equal priority of narrative. Support Five Books Five Books interviews are expensive to produce. If you're enjoying this interview, please support us by donating a small amount . I’m finding it hard to explain, perhaps because this is one of my favourite books. There’s a force to Irene Solà’s words, you understand you are going to a strange place with her very soon. And then, slowly, you understand where you are going and who is speaking. Personally, I just couldn’t believe my eyes, also knowing she’s so young. She reminded me also of the literature of Sarah Moss, for example, in this both playful and darkish connection with nature, or with Max Porter and the crow talking to the other characters in Grief Is The Thing With Feathers . This kind of balancing, not just animals but every single element has the same value. The literary voice of Irene Solà can, indeed, make the mountains dance. Spotlight on Catalan Culture is a celebration of Catalan literature, arts and culture starting at The London Book Fair (5-7 April 2022) and with events taking place across the UK until June 2022."