The writer David Lozano (Zaragoza, 49 years old) is passionate about suspense. His readers are teenagers, he has been writing for them for years and his stories talk about intense emotions such as pain or death, as the author explains to EL PAÍS shortly after learning that he has won the Gran Angular Prize for the second time, awarded annually by the SM Foundation —and created in 1978 to promote literary creation for children and young people—, by Intruder (SM, 2024). The first time was in 2006, with the novel Where the shadows arise (SM), other thriller hectic He says he feels comfortable in the genre of youth literature.
Harassment, networks and homophobia are the main themes of his new novel, in which he uses the rhythm of the narrative to hook the reader from the first chapter. But, above all, what Lozano has sought is for both young people and adults to talk about second chances. Something that is already clear from the dedication: “To those who are willing to play the game despite their bad cards”. “It is very easy for you to do well depending on what starting point and that is one of the discoveries of the novel, that we do not all play in the same league and with the same cards,” says the author.
ASK. For you, Intruder It is a committed novel. Because?
ANSWER. Because it addresses topics such as the taboo of crimes committed by minors. Because it puts on the table the debate about how to react when a minor does something that one does not expect and hurts another person. In this novel we see different profiles. He who does something bad is one of those we would call from a good family, where he has been loved. And the person we see as the most empathetic, the most kind, is a boy who has had a difficult life, knowing the reality of conflictive environments such as a juvenile center. Here comes the issue of opportunities, a delicate issue, and the novel talks about it, it does not hide it. When a boy does something bad, is it bad? It has a solution? Can He forgive Him? Can he get his life back?
Q. These are topics very close to the reality of adolescents.
R. Absolutely. They live their reality and many things happen that, sometimes, those who see it the least are those who are closest. When the bomb goes off that something bad has happened and my son or daughter is involved it is: “My God! Impossible”. There is a certain blindness, not wanting to see. They are interested in the world to which they belong and when things happen in a school, it is their reality. Recess, the playground, classes, walks, Saturday… It is their world and, sometimes, their world is next to us, but, as adults, we have been moving away and those topics are not so visible.
Q. Is it a novel that adults should also read?
R. Yes, because in the end the reflection can be applied to everyone. For example, if an adult is driving, he has gotten distracted because he has looked at his cell phone and runs over a child and kills him. One can make mistakes and that ruins your life. The novel talks about an event that is intrinsically bad. The children involved have acted badly, but they did not intend to and the same thing happens to adults.
Q. It is said that youth literature is minor literature, but it deals with very important topics that are difficult to talk about with minors.
R. Overprotection towards minors leads us to the fact that when we sense something that we are not going to like, as adults, we look away. That doesn't solve anything. You have to talk about everything with your children. About the news, about things that happen, and you have to be attentive. That is why reading this type of novel brings the reality of young people closer to the reality of parents and families. Living under the same roof does not guarantee sharing reality. He may be sleeping in his room one meter away, yes, but he moves in a world that may not be so close to ours.
Q. Who is the potential reader of this novel?
R. From 13 or 14 years old, and I can't put any more limits because it is a story that, because of what it is about, interests young people and adults. It is true that you have to have a certain maturity to address this moral dilemma of what is right and what is wrong. Because, furthermore, I am interested in putting this issue on the table so that everyone can give their opinion: do you think they have the right to rebuild their lives or not? But I insist, in the novel it is not smoothed over how bad what happened is and it is said that it is wrong and we must pay, but behind it there is an error.
Q. What will your readers discover?
R. It is written with a narrative rhythm so that they can immerse themselves in the story in an attractive way, almost thriller. I've been writing for young people for years and I already know what register I should use. The discovery of this novel, above all, is to move away from Manichaeism, that is, being accustomed to a narrative in which it is very easy to distinguish the good from the bad. Everything is so pure that it is not real and the world is not like that, many times we move in a gray scale. The discovery of this novel is that they will not have an easy time identifying.
Q. What have you discovered about juvenile centers and the minors who are there with your research for this novel?
R. I have spoken with the professionals, but I have not had contact with the inmates, that is more delicate. A social worker and a psychologist have been advising me, and what I have discovered is that, deep down, most of the profiles who live this reality have not had opportunities. It is true that life sets your course a lot. Just as it is said that there is a lack of attention for mental health, I believe that we must continue working on the protection of our minors, of all the minors who do not have a network that they should have. And the professionals I have seen give everything to help them get ahead, so that they have opportunities in the future.
Q. He has won the Gran Angular Award twice. Do you feel comfortable in literature for adolescents?
R. Yes. Teenagers have a drawback: they are so impatient with everything that they are very harsh judges. If they leave it on the second page, that impatience makes them miss things, but, at the same time, when a story convinces them, they live it with a passion that we adults have lost. When I receive their emails commenting on the novels, on how you were able to kill this character, I say to myself: “How wonderful, this is how you should read.” His ability to dream, to imagine, to immerse himself in history is brutal and that for the author is a privilege. I pay the price because they are very severe judges, very impatient, but in exchange the way they live the stories is wonderful.
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