Photography: Jesús Maeso de la Torre. Facebook profile.
Jesus Maeso de la Torre It is one of my great historical novel references. His first novel, The stone of destinyI was fascinated by it and I have followed it with devotion ever since. Later came titles such as, among others, Comanche, The Chinese box, The Manila Slave, The tears of Julius Caesar. The last one is oleum.
Today grant me this interview which I thank you very much for their kindness, dedication and time. Put the colophon to this series on Spanish writers of historical genre.
INTERVIEW WITH JESÚS MAESO DE LA TORRE
- ACTUALIDAD LITERATURA: Do you remember the first book you read? And the first story you wrote?
JESÚS MAESO DE LA TORRE: The first book I read, that was not a TBO, was The monk of the Yuste monasteryOn Juan de Austria —Jeromín— and the emperor Carlos V. Its author was Leandro Herrero and it marked my literary tastes.
The first story I wrote, which was later edited by Edhasa, was The Stone of Destiny, on the king's Scots crusade Robert Bruce to the Nasrid kingdom of Granada.
- AL: What was the first book that struck you and why?
JMT: There have been many, but the one I remember the most is Bomarzo, from the platense Manuel Mujica Laínez, which apart from telling the story of an Italian Renaissance Duke, his prose, full of exquisiteness, elegance, musicality and nostalgia, is a lucid chronicle of European civilization, which teaches writing.
- AL: Who is your favorite writer? You can choose more than one and from all eras.
Like books, there are many authors who delight me: John Willians, Vargas Llosa, Blasco Ibáñez, Tom Holand, Juan Eslava, Philipp Meyer and Emilio Lara. Reading their stories relaxes me and takes me to imaginary worlds that save me from the gray reality.
- AL: What character in a book would you have liked to meet and create?
I have no doubts: Fray George of Burgos, the enigmatic librarian of The name of the rose. And also John Silver, the pirate captain of The island of the treasure.
- AL: Any mania when it comes to writing or reading?
Not especially, but I usually tidy up the desk before and put some background music, whatever style it is, although I prefer the classical or polyphonic.
- AL: And your preferred place and time to do it?
Always in my room (I do not dispatch, because I do not sell anything), which I have full of books, writing utensils and hundreds of tapes, discs and CDs of all time. Only with them am I happy. The moment, anyone. This is a profession and there are no muses, only work, dedication and love of literature.
- AL: What writer or book has influenced your work as an author?
Because of my classical training, all of whom we consider essential and who helped me learn. I mean: The Lazarillo de Tormes, Quevedo, Gongora, garcilaso, Lope, Cervantes or Rojas, without forgetting the classics like Homer, Virgilio, Horacio or Isidoro from Seville.
- AL: Your favorite genres besides historical?
Undoubtedly the Novelty, which I usually include in my narratives, and the , of all ages. I also like the fictional narrative.
- AL: What are you reading now? And writing?
I'm finishing Stoner, by John Willians. Very interesting and gritty about a university professor in the USA.
I am working on a story set in the Byzantine empire, in which it is necessary to build a deep historical archeology.
- AL: How do you think the publishing scene is for as many authors as there are or want to publish?
I estimate, with all due respect to those who write, that modesty has been lost for the itch to assure his friends that he has written a book, and they throw anything. I waited until I was forty years old to have the sufficient maturity to write, and always with unspeakable respect to publish. Publishers sometimes broadcast, trying to find the ideal best seller, and they publish despicable books, by authors they have barely read.
- 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 novels?
At least i have recovered time for enjoy my main pleasure: the reading, and I have left over for prepare new projects literary.