Photography: David Sanudo. Courtesy of the author.
David Sanudo He is from Palencia and a journalist in the Cadena Ser where he directs the program Today South Madrid. He has made his debut in the historical novel with a first title, The lost victory. Thank you very much for the time and kindness you gave me. this interview where he tells us a little about her and other topics.
David Sañudo — Interview
- ACTUALIDAD LITERATURA: The title of your novel is the lost victory. What do you tell us in it and where did the idea come from?
DAVID SAÑUDO: It's a historical adventure novel set in the XNUMXth century in the High Middle Ages, in the Kingdom of León. It is the time of the Caliphate of Córdoba and the lion king places the hopes of defeating the Andalusians in a legendary item of which some ancient chronicles speak. He orders the monk Julián to look for that object, who will be escorted by the young Alvar Lainez, son of the Count of Aquilare, who is the true protagonist of the novel. Both must go through different monasteries looking for more clues and avoiding those who want to make the mission fail. In that travel They will have the opportunity to visit practically all the Christian territories of the north from the monastery of Ripoll to that of San Millán or Tábara in Zamora.
The story came from investigating two seemingly unrelated events, distanced in time, but that I am one in the fiction of the novel.
- AL: Can you remember any of your first readings? And the first story you wrote?
DS: I don't remember which was the first book I read, but my childhood (and I think that of many children of my generation) is marked by the different collections of The Steamboat. And the first story I remember writing had to do with a horseback riding called autumn moon (I got the name from a comic).
- AL: A head writer? You can choose more than one and from all eras.
DS: Well, this is a question that has a complicated answer because in the end you end up reading a lot and from many authors and I think that most of them have very interesting things to tell and to contribute. But if I had to stay with a single writer and taking advantage of the fact that he is the author of a historical novel (and that he also publishes with Edhasa), I would stay with Bernard Cornwell. And of the recent irruptions in the world of the historical novel in Spain (although it is true that he had already published something years ago) I really like the way he tells things Jose Soto Girl.
- AL: What character in a book would you have liked to meet and create?
DS: The Mr Gaius. I believe that Delibes he was a specialist in taking the focus away from the great figures and making us look at those characters who remain in the shadows, they do not generate as much attention, but they are probably much more interesting. And in this case I would have liked to meet Mr. Cayo and also have had the gift that Delibes had of having been able to create him.
- AL: Any special habits or habits when it comes to writing or reading?
DS: I can read read anywhere, I do not care if there is noise around, I have no problem; In fact, because of my work, I usually read on the train or the subway.
Write is something else, here I need silence, concentration, time… everything that a house with three small children lacks. They are the joy of the family but, fathers and mothers will understand me, forget about having time for yourself.
- AL: And your preferred place and time to do it?
DS: I like to write en casa, usually on the laptop, and I usually do it on a sofa with a side table. I don't have a favorite time of day. But it is true that to take notes and even pose scenes or dialogues many times ideas come to me being on the street, so the mobile is the great ally then.
- AL: Are there other genres that you like?
DS: I like good books and those are in all genres: I love the boobs, graphic novel, novel black… and also him rehearsal. But it is true that in the novel History there is an addition that for me is very attractive and it is connect the reader to a bygone era.
- AL: What are you reading now? And writing?
DS: I just started reading Pelayo! by Jose Angel tricks. About the projects I'm working on right now, I have an advanced continuation of the lost victory, but perhaps editorially it would be more interesting to look for another path and there I am about to finish a police novel set in the Zaragoza Andalusian of Eleventh century.
- How do you think the publishing scene is and what decided you to try to publish?
DS: I think the writer (and therefore the reader) is very lucky nowadays: there are lots of posting options, self-publish, there are electronic books… and on top of that we are in a golden moment for the historical novel. In my case, the first objective was to write and finish the novel, then to have the luck that a great publisher specializing in historical novels like Edhasa trusts you has been a real gift.
- AL: Is the moment of crisis that we are experiencing being difficult for you or will you be able to keep something positive for future stories?
DS: Personally, I think we are all going to leave somewhat touched of these years that we have spent and those that lie ahead (which I hope will not be many) until we recover a certain normality. And if we talk about literary inspirations, can be removed many experiences of what is happening in the world today, realizing how people respond to crisis situations, from altruism to selfishness.