Publishers Weekly - April 4, 2016

Department|BOOKS IN SPANISH

Julia Navarro is one of Spain’s most widely rec- ognized authors. With a background as a jour-
nalist, Navarro has sold
millions of copies of her nonfic-
tion and fiction titles around
the world, and her books are
available in more than 30 coun-
tries. After writing several books on poli-
tics, she published her first novel, La
Hermandad de la Sábana Santa (The
Brotherhood of the Holy Shroud), in 2010,
which stayed at the top of the bestseller
charts in Spain for months. La Biblia de
barro ( The Bible of Clay) and La sangre de
los inocentes (The Blood of the Innocent)
strengthened her prestige among critics
and the public. Soon after writing those
books, she published Dime quién soy (Tell
Me Who I Am) and Dispara, yo ya estoy
muerto (Shoot Me, I’m Already Dead), both
works of historical fiction. Some of
Navarro’s books in Spanish have been
published in the U.S. by Vintage Español,
and the English translations have been
released by Bantam.

Her latest novel,

Historia de un canalla

(Story of a Sociopath), explores the human condition and reflects the ambition, greed, and selfishness of human beings. It is a modern and cosmopolitan novel set in New York and London with a couple of brief forays into Spain.

The plot’s backdrop is the world of communication and politics, and it explores the codependent relationship between journalism and politics. Navarro spoke about Historia de un canalla, which was released in March in a Spanish-language edition, during her visit to New York.

This is by far the most psychological novel you have written. How helpful was your experience as a political journalist in understanding the mind-set of politicians and those who crave power?

What you read, live, and hear are all
helpful elements when writing a book. I
have worked as a political journalist and
in political communications for 35 years,
and these experiences helped me tremen-
dously in developing the characters for
this novel.

Do you think we are going through a period when societies, specifically European and North American ones, are obsessed with the issue of political power?

Political power is part of world history and the human condition, which is nothing new. However, technology and in particular social media is changing how power is communicated. People now use social media to influence others, not just in politics but in everything.

In Spain it was
said that this novel is one of the most
anticipated books of 2016. What do
you feel when you hear that?
Responsibility—a deep sense of
responsibility. I have worked on this
novel for three years, but now it’s time
for the readers to judge it. As a writer,
you are always judged by your latest
work. It feels a bit like having vertigo. I
am now getting ready for a book tour
that includes Spain, Chile, Argentina,
Uruguay, Colombia, Panama, Peru, and
the U.S. Due to the financial crisis in
Spain, the Latin American and U.S. mar-
kets are very important. Since my first
novel, I have worked a great deal in
forging a path for my books in Latin
America—readers there are very consis-
tent. The U.S. market in English is
rather complicated, but I am happy that
most of my books have been translated
and are available in the U.S. As for the
U.S. Hispanic market, I hope readers
will enjoy my latest book. It is a shame
that many Hispanics don’t read in
Spanish—it is a heritage for them to
enjoy. ■
PW Talks with Julia Navarro

Leylha Ahuile

Cacho Wins Human Rights Award

Mexican author and journalist Lydia Cacho and American author and journalist Jeremy Scahill were recently named the winners of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives/ Puffin Award for Human Rights Activism. Cacho’s books, which include Esclavas del poder (Slavery Inc.: The Untold Story of International Sex Trafficking) and Memorias de una infamia (Infamy: How One Woman Brought an International Sex Trafficking Ring to Justice), have exposed organized crime, corruption, and government malfeasance. Her most recent book, En Busca de Kayla (In Search of Kayla), is an illustrated short story that teaches children about the power they have over their own safety on the Internet. Thanks to her writing and activism, Cacho has become a leader in the fight for freedom of expression and human rights in Mexico. She has been awarded the Amnesty International Ginetta Sagan Award for Women and Children’s Rights, the Hrant Dink Award, and the Civil Courage Prize of the Train Foundation, among other honors. She and Scahill will receive the ALBA/Puffin award in a May 7 ceremony in N.Y.C.