Andorran Novel 'Obaga' Hits Greek Shelves 20 Years Later

Albert Villaró, the Andorran author who rose to prominence two decades ago with his debut novel *Obaga*, has seen the book reach Greek readers for the first time. Published in 2003, *Obaga*—translated into Greek as *Φύλαξέ μου τις αγελάδες* (roughly pronounced "Fulaksé pou tis ageladés," meaning "Guard my cows")—has just hit shelves, marking a fresh chapter for the work that first put Andorra's Pyrenean smuggling culture on the literary map.

Set in the mid-1990s amid the "years of lead" in the fictional Lapena region—a nod to Andorra's rugged northwest—the novel follows Tomàs de cal Mostatxo, a laid-back cowherder in the remote village of Llobarca. Life in this comarca, centred on Lagrau and bordering the fictional marquisate of Somorra, revolves around contraband, an "honourable trade" embraced by locals, including law enforcement, until elite GAR units intervene. Chaos erupts when traffickers, carabinieri, and journalists descend on Llobarca, drawing in characters like Magalí and Roser, culminating in a poignant scene of a pregnant woman driving her humble Fiat Ritmo up the mountain in search of the child's father.

*Obaga* captured the exotic allure of contemporary Pyrenean life for urban Catalan audiences, blending northwestern dialect with a Wild West vibe. It topped bestseller lists, spawning Spanish (*Guárdame las vacas*) and French (*Gardez-moi les vaches*) editions. Villaró credits his publisher, Asterisc agency, for the Greek venture, saying it brings him "great joy."

This is not Villaró's first foray abroad. *Blau de Prússia* appeared in Spanish, Italian, and Czech, while *Els ambaixadors* and *La Companyia Nòrdica* reached Spanish markets. English remains elusive for him and most Catalan authors, with only Teresa Colom breaking through partially in 2016 when *The Guardian* published her story "El fill de l'enterramorts" from *La senyoreta Keaton*, likening her style to Tim Burton and the Brothers Grimm. Colom has noted the anglophone market's vastness demands bestseller status for outsiders. That collection also landed in Chinese in 2021.

Meanwhile, Andorran readers can look forward to *Divendres 13 (Anem)* on 10 March, a pandemic chronicle co-authored by former Health Minister Josep Martínez Benazet and Finance spokesperson Eric Jover.