Andorran Poet Laia Corma Releases Catalan Poetry Collection 'Flors d’amor'

Andorran poet Laia Corma (Laia Córdoba Martín) has published *Flors d’amor*, her second poetry collection and first entirely in Catalan, through the local publisher Llamps i Trons. Presented this February, the book uses Andorra’s landscapes and seasonal changes as symbols for the stages of a romantic relationship, aiming to make poetry accessible to younger readers while promoting the Catalan language.

The collection, gestated about a year ago after Corma’s return from abroad, structures its poems into four sections mirroring the seasons: spring for initial nerves and excitement, summer for passion, autumn for doubts and misunderstandings, and winter for detachment and breakup. Natural elements and specific Andorran sites—like the mountains, Pont de la Margineda, and locations in Encamp, Ordino, and La Massana—accompany the protagonists’ emotional shifts. The green cover nods to the inspiring mountain scenery. Drawing from nostalgia during her time overseas, Corma blends real experiences with heightened emotions to capture modern love, including how painful memories can turn into fond smiles. “Love drives everything,” she said.

Unlike her debut *A ti*, published in Madrid in Spanish and focused on mental health and self-love, *Flors d’amor* explores couple relationships with a lighter, “refreshing and fun yet reflective” style. As a trained translator, Corma values Catalan’s unique expressions for conveying local emotions and landmarks. She regrets poetry’s waning appeal among youth and hopes to show it can be relevant and undemanding, rewarding reflection over linear narrative.

Corma left Andorra in 2018 for France to study literary translation and history, followed by master’s degrees in Paris, Seville, and Madrid. Her parents instilled a love of reading from childhood. She praises Llamps i Trons for their support and notes Andorra’s cultural scene offers young creators direct access, countering stereotypes of the country as merely a shopping or skiing destination. “Culture shows we have our own identity beyond shopping or skiing,” she said, citing influences like Baudelaire, Neruda, Vicent Andrés Estellés, and Ronsard.