On Monday, May 4th, the Jesús Arencibia Cultural Space in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria will host an open dialogue with a writer, under the title 'The Art of Inventing Realities'. During this event, the author will discuss his literary journey, marked by a long wait for his novels to be published.
The author revealed that his novel La ciudad de las luces muertas, although published later, was conceived before La península de las casas vacías. The decision to prioritize the publication of La península was due to the proximity of an anniversary related to the Civil War and the author's long wait to see it edited, a process that spanned fifteen years.
“"I have been very consistent. And I have had a lot of vocation in the sense that I have greatly enjoyed writing, and on the other hand, I have always had the hope that the day would come when an editor would call me and publish a work. And you see, I'm a bit naive, but in the end, it worked out. Although it was 15 years waiting for that call."
The connection with the Canary Islands is a central point in his work, especially in La ciudad de las luces muertas, where the figure of Carmen Laforet, with strong ties to the archipelago, is a key character. The author had the opportunity to research through Laforet's daughter, who confirmed that her mother's accent was Canarian, due to her upbringing on the islands.
The writer has also expressed his admiration for Benito Pérez Galdós, whom he considers a master of writing. Furthermore, he has shown his support for Las Palmas de Gran Canaria's candidacy as the European Capital of Culture in 2031, highlighting the city's unique idiosyncrasy as a source of literary inspiration.
