Photography: Verónica García-Peña, Twitter profile.
Verónica García-Peña is from Álava, lives in Gijón, and has degrees in Sociology and Journalism, as well as being a writer . I am very grateful for her time and kindness in granting this interview , where she talks about her latest novel, * La isla de las musas* ( The Island of the Muses ), a finalist for the 2020 Planeta Prize, and several other topics.
Veronica Garcia-Peña— Interview
- LITERATURE NEWS: Your latest novel is titled The island of the muses. What do you tell us about it and where did the idea come from?
VERÓNICA GARCÍA-PEÑA: I dreamt the idea . It might sound a bit fanciful, but that's how it was. I dreamt almost the entire first chapter , and it was so vivid, so real, that I couldn't resist continuing the story. I wanted to know what would become of the characters, of the island…
Thus was born The Island of the Muses, in which I take you to 1936 and introduce you to Ricardo Pedreira Ulloa, a writer tormented by writer's block, who returns to the family manor where he grew up, located on a Galician island. There, the appearance of a mysterious woman restores his talent, but also the memory of a story buried by oblivion and excess for more than ten years. A fragmented memory that haunts him and forces him to confront the enigma of his past.
- TO THE: You can go back to that first book you read? And the first story you wrote?
VGP: The first book that made me consider becoming a writer was The Shining by Stephen King. I read it at perhaps a rather inappropriate age, 13 or 14. I remember the insomnia it caused, but above all, a special tingling sensation that planted an idea in my head. I wanted to be able to convey things the way King did. To tell stories, invent places, build worlds. I wanted to be a writer. After that book came others, like Byron, Poe, Bécquer, Henry James, and Wilkie Collins , and I fell in love with Shakespeare and Calderón.
The first story I ever wrote was a sonnet . Poetry. In school. A sonnet dedicated to Death , which I still remember.
- AL: A head writer? You can choose more than one and from all eras.
VGP: I always find it very difficult to choose. And if I don't have to choose, the list is enormous. I'll tell you that, in addition to those already mentioned, as someone who inspires me, a reflection of me, an inspiration, I would choose the wonderful Joyce Carol Oates . She deserves the Nobel Prize, and she deserves it now.
- AL: What character in a book would you have liked to meet and create?
VGP: To create a multitude and meet just as many. But someone I think about a lot when I'm stuck is Dorian Gray . Creating him would have been wonderful. To steal him from Wilde. And to meet, perhaps, Alice Gould , the protagonist of The Crooked Lines of God , by Torcuato Luca de Tena. It would be interesting to chat with her. Very interesting.
- AL: Any special habits or habits when it comes to writing or reading?
VGP: I reread previous chapters a lot before continuing, and I write most of the stories by hand . I'm sure I have more, but these are my two biggest quirks.
- AL: And your preferred place and time to do it?
VGP: It's changed over the years. It depends on the stories and the times we live in. So, there have been times when I've done the more hands-on work in the living room and kitchen ; other times, in the office. Although I must confess that I'm increasingly in favor of having my own room , closed off.
- AL: Are there other genres that you like?
VGP: Many. I love mystery and crime novels, but I'm eclectic in that sense. I read everything and enjoy it all. I read for the simple pleasure of reading.
- What are you reading now? And writing?
VGP: I'm reading Jane Harper's * Drought Years * and finishing Rosa Liksom 's *Compartment No. 6* . I also read some stories from Neil Gaiman's *Smoke and Mirrors*.
I'm rereading one of my latest manuscripts . I've written a lot in recent years, even though it hasn't been published yet, and it's time to get out my pencil and eraser.
- AL: How do you think the publishing scene is and what decided you to try to publish?
VGP: It's getting more and more complicated . The market is also becoming excessively polarized. You're either commercial or literary, as if the two were incompatible. And by the way, since when is being literary a bad thing? Aren't we talking about books? And it's also becoming overly scripted . I suppose that's due to the influence and success of current streaming platforms and the way a large part of the public consumes them. So, the book is a consumer product that has to be read quickly, very quickly, so you can get to the next one as soon as possible. It's a shame because I think that, in this way, great stories are lost.
I decided to try it because of my love for books, for all books, and my love for what literature offers to humankind . Its infinite capacity to create and surprise you; to always want more. There is nothing more beautiful than living a thousand lives and doing it with just a flick of the wrist as you turn the pages.
- 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?
VGP: The truth is, it's affected me in different ways. I had an initial period of great work and inspiration, and then , as time went on, a complete block in both reading and writing. I was unable to concentrate. Fortunately, I overcame it , although it still weighs on me. As for taking anything away from it, I don't know. It's still too soon.