Photography: Paula Gallego's website.
Paula Gallego, In addition to being a writer, she is a teacher and a philologist and has already published a few novels with publishers such as Kiwi, Escarlata and Planeta. Among his titles are Cristal, the emerald warrior, which was a finalist in the Ateneo de Novela Joven de Sevilla Prize, 13 hours in Vienna, 3 nights in Oslo, A winter day, 7 weeks in Paris, breathe, A firestorm. The last one is The ink that unites us, that he has released this year. I really appreciate your time and kindness to this interview that he has granted me.
Paula Gallego - Interview
- ACTUALIDAD LITERATURA: La ink that unites us is your last novel. What do you tell us about it and how did the idea come about?
PAULA GALICIAN: The ink that unites us is a novel that speaks of hope, family and love in all its forms: love for friends and family we choose, love for oneself and love of freedom. His story came up with Hasret. She was the first to appear in my head, ready to speak out. Then Anik and Kael came along and with them everything else. Everything fitted together perfectly: the actual historical events, the dates, the little coincidences… That story was there for me to write.
- AL: Do you remember the first book you read? And the first story you wrote?
PG: It was not the first one I read, but it was the first one that made me fully enter the world of reading: Idhun's memories. The first stories I wrote were short stories; and the first novel proper was a fantasy story that I self-published at 17.
- AL: A head writer? You can choose more than one and from all eras.
PG: I'm going to say to Leigh Bardugo, Holly Black and Sarah J. Maas.
- AL: What character in a book would you have liked to meet and create?
PG: Jude, The cruel prince. He seems to me to be a very well developed, interesting character, with a thousand different edges. Without a doubt, she is one of my favorite literary characters and I would love to meet her.
- AL: Any special habits or habits when it comes to writing or reading?
PG: I read in the morning and write at night. I like to write when I have finished the rest of my obligations, as a reward.
- AL: And your preferred place and time to do it?
PG: My favorite place to read is in the living room, next to my bookstore and my tables with plants and books. To write I like be in my office, with my corks full of ideas, my cluttered desk, my books on the shelves and the sleeping cat next to me.
- AL: Are there other genres that you like?
PG: My favorite genre, both for reading and writing, is boobs. I also really enjoy science fiction. I think those are the three subgenres that I like the most: historical setting, fantasy and science fiction.
- AL: What are you reading now? And writing?
PG: I'm finishing reading Queen of nothing of Holly Black, and right now I am working on polishing the second and last part of the Black Sigh; the continuation of A firestorm.
- AL: How do you think the publishing scene is for as many authors as they want to publish?
PG: I think it's a world that requires a lot of work and effort, and also great amounts of luck. However, thanks to emerging publishers, there are more and more possibilities to publish a book. The market is bigger than it was a few decades ago.
- 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?
PG: I think that everything we live can help us in some way, but I would not like to trivialize something that has made so many people suffer. For the moment, you have to resist, go ahead and hope everything improves.