Explore this interview with Colombian novelist Santiago Gamboa as he talks movingly about his friendship with the Chilean master Roberto Bolaño, his years of exile in Europe, why intellectuals and writers in Latin America are close to political power, and how great novelists handle politics in their work. He also talks about a recent lunch he had with the Chinese Nobel Laureate Mo Yan, who wanted to talk endlessly about Gamboa’s friendship with Bolaño.

The interview is also important because it is one of Gamboa’s first major English-language interviews on YouTube.

Gamboa left Colombia during its darkest days in the 1980s when he was just 19 years old. He went on to live and publish books while living in Spain, France, and Italy. He finally returned to Colombia after 30 years. Gamboa is the author of 11 novels, plus a collection of short stories and a travel memoir. Some of his key novels translated into English include Necropolis, Night Prayers, and Return to the Dark Valley.

Santiago Gamboa’s books are available in English translations from Europa Editions:
https://www.europaeditions.com/author...

During our interview, we referenced the following works of literature:

· Bolaño, Roberto. The Savage Detectives.
· Bolaño, Roberto. 2666.
· Carpentier, Alejo. Explosion in a Cathedral.
· Carpentier, Alejo. The Lost Steps.
· Conrad, Joseph. The Heart of Darkness.
· Conrad, Joseph. Lord Jim.
· Gamboa, Santiago. Colombian Psycho.
· García Márquez, Gabriel. One Hundred Years of Solitude.
· Greene, Graham. The End of the Affair.
· Greene, Graham. The Quiet American.
· Joyce, James. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.
· Knausgaard, Karl Ove. My Struggle.
· Mann, Thomas. Doctor Faustus.
· Tolstoy, Leo. War and Peace.
· Vergil. The Aeneid.
· Vargas Llosa, Mario. Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter.
· Zola, Émile. J’Accuse…!

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Music credit: "Afternoon Tea" by Mona Wonderlick — bit.ly/youtube-monawonderlick
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0

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