“I was attracted to that halo of mystery, glamor and specters of San Sebastián in the 50s”
His trilogy The music of the bones, The ritual of the dead and The end of the party has captivated thousands of readers. Now Nagore Suárez (Madrid, 1994) delves into the historical mystery with her fourth novel, What Dwells in Dreams, set in Florence and San Sebastián in the mid-1950s of the 20th century and the summer vacation of the aristocratic class. .
In his new novel he has changed the settings of Navarroa for Florence and Donostia.
Indeed, the novel is set mainly in Florence during 1938 and in San Sebastián in 1952. In the case of San Sebastián, I liked the fact that it had always been a summer resort for the entire European elite and it gave me the opportunity to present different characters because everyone from aristocrats to smugglers gathered there. In addition to reflecting a historical moment of Francoism, I was attracted to that halo of mystery, glamor and specters of that time. And in the case of Florence because, in the end, art is very important in the novel; In addition, some parts of Ava’s character are inspired by the surrealist painter Leonora Carrington and she attended a school in Florence.
He only needs Bizkaia and Araba as settings for his next novels.
I was born in Madrid, but my grandmother is Navarrese and my father and my uncles were born in Bilbao and lived in Basauri for a long time. My intention is to stay here also in my next novels. Everything will come in its time.
Does the book require a lot of documentation?
For me, documentation has been a fun part of the creative process of this new novel. I am quite obsessive with it, even though it is fiction and there are things that, of course, are not exact, I have read many newspapers from the time of Donostia in 1952. That has helped me recreate not only the historical data, but also the atmosphere that there was because I am interested not only in the historical and political context, but also in knowing where people ate or how much things cost. In the end, I tried to recreate that setting.
In ‘What lives in dreams’ he has taken a turn with respect to his ‘Bones trilogy’.
Although it is a very different story, it has some elements in common with the trilogy, such as the setting in the north, themes related to esotericism or the supernatural; in addition to its own style, which is something that, no matter how different the narration and plot is, remains there.
What do you think about being called the new lady of historical mystery?
It is a great responsibility, I hope I am up to it. I am delighted, of course, with these compliments, but the most important thing for me is what the readers think, the greatest gratification is that it reaches the readers and that they enjoy it.
He first studied Archeology and Forensic Sciences and then Journalism. Was writing a late vocation?
I liked to write a lot since I was little, but the truth is that I had not considered it as a professional possibility, it seemed like something very difficult, very far away. So, I studied Archeology for two years and at the same time Forensic Anthropology also for two years, but in the end I decided to change careers and trained in journalism.
His forensic knowledge will have come in handy for his novels…
The truth is that yes, especially in the previous ones when there was a lot of forensic investigation. Everything I learned and contacts I have, who have helped me, have been very useful to me. Everything helps.
He started posting on Twitter…
I wrote a story on Twitter in a contest and won several prizes, and as a result I was lucky enough to be able to contact what was my first publisher, which was Random House. Although it is true that sometimes networks take up a lot of our time and attention, used appropriately they can help many people share and reach an audience. And they can also serve to encourage reading. There have always been literary contests that helped people publish, but now we have moved from those literary contests to digital format. I think it’s very interesting because it’s very accessible to everyone.
Today, there is a reign of female mystery writers.
We arrived later because at first it was more difficult to publish, although there are wonderful examples like that of Agatha Christie, but it is good news that more women are reading it and that we have a lot of impact. We arrived later, but it seems that you liked what we do.
And where are your next novels going to go? Will you return to thrillers?
I really liked the historical setting and I would very much like to continue down this path, but without giving up the mystery either. I think that What Lives in Dreams marks what I like to do and what I will possibly do in the near future.
