“Novels can open a space in which opposing ideas are valid at the same time. In which reality is considered in a complex way.”

What defines a novel? Can the genre deal in both fiction and fact? It may seem contradictory, but the ability to play with facts in a novel may actually bring the truth behind them into focus more clearly.

Juan Gabriel Vasquez is widely heralded as one of the world’s greatest living novelists. In his new book Retrospective, he charts the barely fictionalised and extraordinary life of the Colombian film director Sergio Cabrera. In this episode Juan tells us about Cabrera’s series of incredible adventures, and he explains why he chose the format of a novel to portray the life of a real person.

In this episode, you will learn:

1. How novels can be a powerful way of portraying facts in a new light.
2. Why you should use the novels you write as a form of rebellion against the status quo.
3. When to leave yourself out of the story, to open space for your readers to make up their own minds about the events that unfold.

Find out more about Juan here.

Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.

Behind The Spine is an inkjockey production, and the audio accompaniment to The Writing Salon. Sign up to the newsletter here.

You can view the full transcript here.

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