Photography: courtesy of the author
Monica Gutierrez was born in Barcelona and has a degree in Journalism and in History. From his personal page he comments on readings, carries out various cultural activities and collects readers' opinions on their favorite works. He also collaborates as a articulist She writes on other blogs and teaches a reading club to introduce the classics to teenagers. She has been awarded several prizes Awards and mentions in short story and poetry contests, and for a few years now he has also been writing fiction, mainly novels feelgood, but she is also a lover of British literature, humorous and charming. She describes herself as "a recalcitrant reader, tea drinker, friend, traveler, dreamer and absent-minded."
She is the author of ten novels:UA Scottish Christmas, A Book Club for the Lost, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Next Season, The Darkest Winter, All the Summers in the World, Mr. Livingstone's Bookshop, Kate's November, A Hotel in Nowhere and Tell Me a Noctalia. They have all received a great reception from readers and have hundreds of positive reviews on the web. In this interview He talk to us about Reading club for absent-minded hearts and many other topics. I thank you for your kindness and time.
Monica Gutierrez — INTERVIEW
- LITERATURE CURRENT: Your latest novel is titled Reading club for absent-minded hearts. What do you tell us in it and where did your inspiration come from?
MÓNICA GUTIÉRREZ: I wanted to write a story in which books were important, but also to draw attention to the importance of bonds of affection and collaboration in small communities. Reading club for absent-minded hearts talks about starting over, about friends and neighbors who are family, and about how books can help us reflect, to slow down this demanding pace that we lead in our daily lives.
- AL: Can you remember any of your first readings? And the first thing you wrote?
MG: The first readings I remember are the books of Gloria Fuertes, Ana M.ª Matute and the tales of Gianni Rodari.
I have been reading and writing for as long as I can remember. For me, it is a form of expression and thought that defines me. The first thing I wrote was probably stories, and then, as a teenager, poems. My first novel didn't come until I was in my thirties..
- AL: A leading author? You can choose more than one and from all periods.
MG: For me, they are very important William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Not me austen, Ana M.ª Matute, Connie Willis and Susanna Clarke, among many other great names in literature. I am nourished by the classics, but also by contemporary fantasy.
Characters, customs and genres
- AL: What character would you have liked to meet and create?
MG: Atticus Finch, the protagonist of Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.
- AL: Any special habits or habits when it comes to writing or reading?
MG: I usually write in the mornings, having a Cup of tea next to the computer. For both writing and reading I need silence absolute and solitude.
- AL: And your preferred place and time to do it?
MG: In property, without a doubt. My home is my refuge.
- AL: What other genres do you like?
MG: The boobs and mystery I like them a lot, besides the novels feelgoodBut I am also very curious and I love reading essays about nature and science, dinosaurs, history, etc.
Current outlook
- AL: What are you reading now? And writing?
MG: I just finished reading Party, Margaret Kennedy, one of those books that you don't forget for long. I was impressed by the author's ability to create characters and to show without judging.
As for writing, I have finished a couple of novels, so it is time to review drafts and add changes.
- AL: How do you think the publishing scene is?
MG: Better than ever. It's incredible how many titles are coming out in bookstores every month and how much is being invested in originality, which was previously considered freak. Not only are they being published New translations of forgotten classics (especially of female voices silenced) but, in each country, national voices are strengthened.
- AL: How do you feel about the current moment we live in?
MG: I try not to watch too much news because it makes me anxious. Our reality is often painful: wars, terrorism, injustice, gender violence, climate crisis, diseases, poverty… I try to apply a global and universal thought to my life, because we are all citizens of the same planet and we do not have another, but I am very aware that I can only act locally. I try to practice the microgoodism: perform small acts of kindness every day, even if they are tiny, like letting an old lady go ahead of me in line at the supermarket, smiling at shopkeepers even if they are unfriendly, reminding a friend how amazing she is, hugging my favourite people…