An excited Montserrat Torrent made her way this Monday through the half a thousand people who filled the Oratorio Sant Felip Neri after having realized the dream of her life: the musical baptism of the instrument that bears her name and whose construction has been delayed for six decades. “It has been extraordinary,” she said after offering a concert in dialogue with the poem that Narcís Comadira has dedicated to the new Montserrat Torrent organ. Surrounded by the performers who premiered the organ made by Albert Blancafort with her, the centenarian artist added: “There will be many concerts. There will be many joys.”

They started as favorites on the starting grid and the predictions came true. Eduardo Mendoza and Regina Rodríguez Sirvent were yesterday’s best-selling fiction authors, in Spanish and Catalan, for Sant Jordi. That Crispetes de matinada (La Campana / Suma) would receive this recognition was known by publishers and booksellers, who saw the piles of books by the Puigcerdà author disappearing by the moment. In Mendoza’s case and La intriga del funeral inconveniente (Seix Barral), some had their doubts after the writer made some statements that caused some controversy, in which he recommended calling this day Book Day instead of Sant Jordi, because “Sant Jordi was an animal abuser and probably couldn’t read”. Statements that he quickly said were a joke and that he was sorry if they had been taken badly. So much so, that on the lapel of his jacket he wore a dragon with a rose, as a nod.