Writer and journalist Sergio del Molino starred last Thursday, November 6, in one of the most anticipated talks of the Lanzarote Literature Festival (FDLL25), held at the El Fondeadero Civic Center in Puerto del Carmen. Accompanied by writer and festival director Carlos Battaglini, the author of "La España vacía" (The Empty Spain) offered a lucid and intimate conversation about identity, belonging, and the role of literature in constructing collective narratives.
"I've always felt a bit of an outsider everywhere," he confessed at the beginning of his speech, before reflecting on the idea of community and nation. For Del Molino, "it's a political community that is based on a series of stories, a series of fictions we tell ourselves," a view that, as he explained, runs through much of his work. The author also spoke about the difficulty of managing notoriety — "success is very difficult to manage" — and defended the novel as a genre that goes beyond invention: "The novel is not defined by the fictional."
During the meeting, the writer reviewed some of the toughest and most personal themes of his career, such as those addressed in La hora violeta, a work that marked a before and after in his career. "The thesis that sustains it is that dead children don't matter to anyone," he said with the honesty that characterizes his discourse, adding later that, despite everything, "the only thing there is is literature."
Next appointments with FDLL25
The Lanzarote Literature Festival continues its program with two notable events. Writer Mónica Ojeda will give her talk on Wednesday, November 19th at 7:30 PM at the Casa de la Cultura Benito Pérez Armas in Yaiza, while author Ignacio Martínez de Pisón will close the cycle on Wednesday, December 3rd, also at 7:30 PM in the same venue.
Registration for both talks is now open on the festival's website (www.fdll.es). Additionally, past talks can be viewed on the FDLL's YouTube channel, which features presentations from the festival's various editions.
