Actualidad Literatura has had the opportunity to interview Enrique Laso. This man from Badajoz living in Madrid, a lover of reading, cinema and, above all, running He is one of the most successful Spanish novelists of this 2016.
The author of the Saga of Ethan Bush and Father Salas offers us the possibility of knowing how his journey has been and what 2017 has in store for him.
Actualidad Literatura: Tell us a little Enrique… When did the bug appear that has turned you into the writer you are now?
Enrique Lasso: I started as a child. At the age of eight he had already finished a short novel. I owe my passion largely to my grandfather, who left me his huge library and encouraged me to write stories.
AL: It is a great advantage. With a library at your disposal, you must have a predilection. What books would you say have left the most impression on you?
THE: A lots of. Undoubtedly La Montaña Mágica, La Peste, The Player, Bella del Señor or El Túnel have marked me a lot, but the list is very long.
AL: And your favorite authors?
THE: Thomas Mann and Dostoevsky. I fell in love as a teenager, and it is difficult to escape from there.
AL: You have told us that at the age of eight you already had your first finished short novel. Do you remember what your first story was?
THE: My first story no, because it would be 6 years old. But my first short novel, which I mentioned before, yes. It was called ROCK, and it was about a boy who turned into a rock because he was not understood by anyone.
AL: And since then, how has your journey as a writer been?
THE: I won the first prizes in school. Later in the institute I continued. This way, until achieving the National Prize for Young Poetry in 1994, which encouraged me a lot. It was a very prestigious award and very well endowed financially.
AL: Of course it is a great pride for a young man of that age. How many books do you already have published today?
THE: If I count manuals and all the pseudonyms, more than 150. If I speak only of novels and poetry books, more than 50.
AL: With so many publications, you must have a trick, what or who do you draw inspiration from when you write?
THE: In news or things that I observe and that happen in front of my eyes. The boot is always something based on a real event. From there my imagination starts. Sometimes also from a dream.
AL: Many authors have their hobbies when it comes to work. Do you have any rituals when it comes to writing?
THE: A lots of. It is almost pathological. I always start a new notebook for each novel, and I don't start it until I have the title, the outline, the character sheets, etc… I like to plan in the morning and write in the afternoons, especially in summer. Never at night, because I love to sleep (I sleep 9-10 hours every day, counting naps). I could spend a lot of time talking about my quirks, but I don't want to sound unbalanced.
AL: Tell us a bit about the experience when you published your first work.
THE: Well, the first ones came out in anthologies of poems or stories, thanks to the prizes it won. It made me a tremendous illusion. When I launched myself into self-publishing I thought it was a way out, and since then I have sold over 700.000 books, which is no small thing. I have also released several novels on paper with traditional publishers.
AL: But not only publishers are interested. Some production companies have also knocked on your door. How many of your books have a film adaptation planned?
THE: Already adapted, in Spain and with a small budget, it is FROM HELL. Two others have the rights sold to a Hollywood agent: THE RUMOR OF THE DEAD and THE BLUE CRIMES. A producer was interested in the first one, but we did not reach an agreement because they wanted to make many changes to the book. With the second we have been negotiating with a large producer for more than a year. These songs go slow, especially when someone is as manic as I am. A Spanish production company is also interested in making a series with the Ethan Bush saga.
AL: Let your imagination run wild. Who would you like to play the role?
THE: I would like him to be a great actor, like any writer. Leonardo DiCaprio is my favorite actor today, so if I could have the luxury of choosing who I would like Ethan Bush to be, it would be him, although physically they are very different.
AL: Some writers usually collaborate with other authors. Have you collaborated with someone or would you like to?
THE: Authors, with none. I have collaborated with many translators, because my books are translated into many languages. And I would not like to collaborate with anyone. They have proposed it to me, and I have not refused, but if they do not 'pull' me, it is not something that makes me especially excited.
Then there are the manuals, but that's another kind of teamwork. There I have released many guides written in four hands.
AL: Have you ever used a pseudonym?
THE: Yes, sure, I use no less than 13 pseudonyms. Most for manuals, although some are dedicated to fiction. The only one I have released (by force) is Henry Osal. There are 12 more to go, and I hope no one ever meets them.
AL: We won't insist any more then. The fifth book of the Ethan Bush Saga "Where Souls Rest?" Has just been released. How was the reception?
THE: Well, it is early to make evaluations, because it has just been launched. Yes there is something good: readers are already asking me for the sixth installment.
AL: Your fans they will probably appreciate the answer to this question… What projects do you have on your hands?
THE: I have several for 2017, leaving aside the manuals. Another installment of 'El padre Salas', the sixth installment by Ethan Bush - which will be released in the spring and will be titled THE DARKEST SNOW - a collection of poems entitled EPITAFIO and a somewhat existentialist novel: CATACLISMO.
AL: 2017 is a year that promises well… Last question, what would you advise someone who is starting to write?
THE: Read a lot and write a lot. That never lose the illusion and the faith in its possibilities. I started selling a little seriously when I was 39 years old, and I can live on writing since I was 41 —that is, a little over three years ago—, so this is a long-distance career. You never know when the readers will give you great joy.
AL: Thank you very much Enrique for dedicating your time to us.
THE: Thank you very much for this wonderful interview.
From Actualidad Literatura, we strongly recommend that you do not let the year end without having read one of his novels. Guaranteed suspense.
Photography by Proust Editions