Benito Olmo. Interview with the author of The Big Red

Photo: Benito Olmo's Facebook.

Benedict Elm (Cádiz, 1980) is now releasing a new novel. Its titled The big red and he promises to keep faithful or increase the already wide range of readers that the Cadiz writer and screenwriter has. He is also the author of A thousand things that I did not tell you before losing you, The Sunflower Tragedy o The turtle maneuver, which will also have a film adaptation. He has been a finalist for several literary awards such as the XNUMXst Prize for the novel La Trama / Aragón Negro or the XNUMXrd Santa Cruz Prize.

Has granted me this interview where he tells us about this new story, also about his favorite writers and books and the publishing scene we have. I really appreciate the time you spent and your kindness.

Benito Olmo - Interview

  • ACTUALIDAD LITERATURA: Do you remember the first book you read? And the first story you wrote?

BENITO OLMO: I started reading as a child, since I was lucky to have a large and well-nourished library at home. I also took to telling stories, mainly in the form of comics, before making the leap to writing.

  • AL: What was that book that impacted you and why?

BO: I was very impressed by the Stephen King novels. It practically devoured them. However, the real shock came when it fell into my hands All the detectives are called Flanaganby Andreu Martín and Jaume Ribera. I would say that this was the book that reaffirmed my love for reading.

  • AL: And that favorite writer? You can choose more than one and from all eras.

BO: I choose Andreu Martin, because he is the type of writer I would like to be like: honest, hard-working and very prolific.

  • AL: What character in a book would you have liked to meet and create?

BO: I would have loved to meet Sherlock Holmes and see if his fame was justified.

  • AL: Any mania or habit when it comes to writing or reading?

BO: For both, you can't miss coffee.

  • AL: And your preferred place and time to do it?

BO: I write in the morning, very early. It's my creative moment of the day, when I don't think about anything other than the story at hand. I have a nice, quiet office where I feel like I'm in a Hopper painting.

  • AL: What do we find in your latest novel, The Big Red?

BO: A crime novel starring a Cadiz detective and a Turkish teenager that show us the entrails of the city of Frankfurt.

  • AL: More literary genres?

BO: Without being a literary genre in itself, too I write audioseries for Storytel. I am excited about this format, as it allows me to expand and introduce resources that enrich the reading. My latest audio series is called Wonderland.

  • AL: What are you reading now? And writing?

BO: I don't like talking about what I'm writing. I prefer to do it when it is finished. Regarding the reading, I just finished The men with the scythe, by John Connolly, and I have started The hollow beingsby Guillermo del Toro.

  • AL: How do you think the publishing scene is for as many authors as there are or want to publish?

BO: The publishing world lacks good editors who are capable of detecting good works and publishing them in the best possible conditions. As Mario Muchnik said, publishers are being replaced by accountants. Nowadays, the number of followers you have on social networks matters more than how good you are at writing. Fortunately, readers still have the last word.

  • AL: What is the moment of crisis that we are experiencing assuming you? Can you keep something positive or useful for future novels?

BO: I try not to get affected, although it is not easy at all. Nor do I want to read stories set in the pandemic, let alone write them. What I want es leave her behind of a damn time and that we can recover all the kisses and hugs that the virus has stolen from us.


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