Elísabet Benavent: 25 books, a Netflix series, and a loyal audience around the world

When Valencian author Elísabet Benavent wrote her first book, she never imagined she'd write 24 more and sell more than 4.5 million copies . Her Valeria saga was adapted for Netflix in 2020, boosting its popularity worldwide. Esnob (Penguin Random House) is the novel she 'll be presenting at the Book Fair , this Saturday, May 10, at 5:30 p.m. in the José Hernández room. But first, she spoke with Clarín .

–What was it like for you to play a male narrator?

–Well, it was very strange, really, but I had a challenge with myself. I wanted each new book to be something new and not repeat the previous ones, because with 25 books and 22 novels under my belt, my biggest concern is not repeating myself. I also believe that a writer's obligation is to make things uncomfortable so as not to get comfortable and to keep learning. If you don't repeat a formula that has worked well for you, it ends up being more of the same with different names. That's how I gave birth to Alejo, who is also a bit of an idiot, the character himself, but a lovable idiot, a textbook snob. So I thought that if he didn't speak, the reader might dislike him and not want to continue getting to know him.

–Very strange and sometimes completely lost. It took me a while to find his voice, but once I found him, he wouldn't let go. I had to ask a lot of friends, but I always thought from the beginning that he had to be believable, though not realistic, which is one of the things I like most about this genre, which also allows us to dream. Maybe this type of man doesn't exist, or if he does, he doesn't have this dramatic arc, but in the novel he does.

–Could you elaborate on what you're saying about what's plausible and what's realistic?

–For me, the romance novel, at least from the perspective I write, is deeply informed by reality and is referential: we search for ourselves in the text, we search for our friends, our own fears, our aspirations. But it also allows us to be aspirational, it allows us to dream about who we want to be, what we will do in the future, who we will be.

–Many want to be like Valeria, don’t they?

–I write some characters that are a mix of who I am and who I would like to be.

–And what do you have with Valeria?

–At the time I wrote Valeria, I had never published a book, I didn't know the publishing market, I didn't know how it worked, and I launched into writing a novel about someone about to publish their second novel. I aspired to have the problems Valeria had.

–And what was your childhood like? Was it also in a city with a sea?

–Yes, I'm from Valencia, a Mediterranean city. We Valencians need the sea nearby, but we can go six months without seeing it. It's one of our contradictions. I come from a working-class family. I'm the youngest sister; my older sister is six and a half years older than me. My mother is a housewife, and my father had several jobs. In my house, books were considered a gift; reading was never imposed at home. Reading was a choice, and a happy choice. Books were given as gifts; there was no imposition there. My sister was an avid reader since she was little, and she instilled in me a love of reading. When I was about 13, I found a book by Isabel Allende at home and couldn't stop reading.

–The House of the Spirits : I've reread it, I think, more than four times, and each time I find it more beautiful.

–And what other things did you read?

–I relied heavily on my sister's recommendations. At the time, when my sister was 19, having a little sister seemed like a nuisance. Back then, she'd often tell me, 'Read what's in your room,' which used to be hers, and I'd read. I really liked storybooks, adventure novels, and then I started to like horror novels. I read everything I could get my hands on, but we weren't very loose with money at home either.

–Do you like Mariana Enríquez?

–I love Mariana Enríquez; I've read everything she writes. I'm fascinated by her way of incorporating terror into the everyday, which I find the most terrifying of all. And the cosmos of her literature—I think it has a language that makes her ghosts very recognizable: you know you're reading Mariana Enríquez, even if you can't see the cover.

–And regarding the Valeria series, which premiered its fourth season, what was it like when they asked you if they could adapt your books for the Netflix series?

–Well, at that moment, you experience it with joy, but also with caution. You try not to get your hopes up until the contract is signed, and then your imagination runs wild. The first season was tough for me because I had to let go of the character; I had to understand that Netflix was proposing a more open adaptation. In the second season, there was already a clear desire to return to the original, and I became part of the executive production, and I had to start learning what it means to be an executive producer. I've been lucky enough to work hand in hand with the production company shot by shot, who has always been very attentive to me, ensuring that I learned, and that I participated. I'm very grateful, and it's opened many doors for me.

–What is your relationship like with the actors and actresses?

–It's magnificent; they're all wonderful. Also, one thing happens to me with them: I can't think of my characters without thinking of them anymore. For me, Valeria will always have Diana Gómez's face, Víctor will always be Maxi Iglesias, and the same thing happens with the rest of the girls, with Paula Amalia, Teresa Riu, and Sima. It was very difficult; you have to always approach it as a challenge, because the collective imagination is extremely difficult to reach, and finding a middle ground that pleases everyone is practically impossible. But we hoped that when they saw the series, they would become attached to them. Yes, Lola is incredible too. Well, she's wonderful. Seven years passed from the start of pre-production until we finally gave Valeria an ending, and we'll miss her, but this closure was also missing, and new things are coming.

–Returning to Alejo, the protagonist of Esnob , do you think he represents a generation of young people who find it difficult to imagine a future?

–Yes, Alejo's problem is that since he has trouble imagining his own future, what he does is project himself into his father's past. Then he thinks about how to achieve the same success as him: he thinks, I have to get married, have children, a dog, a villa, become a partner in the company before I'm 40. But of course, his ego also plays into his hands here, and that will be the first domino to fall, somehow leading to his dismissal. His girlfriend leaves him, his parents tell him, "We've had enough of you, you're a spoiled brat," and he finds himself sharing an apartment with his 20-year-old twin brothers, in an apartment that's a real dump, applying for jobs that he considers beneath his abilities. It's a slap in the face from reality to put him in his place. We are a generation, or at least I felt that way, who came out of college lost, not knowing which direction to go; I think that at 18, we decide very important things, such as the direction of our lives, and it seems very early to choose the education that will mark us for life. And in Alejo's case, it's also true that he's a snob, who believes he deserves certain things and has the mentality of a Wall Street shark, which he isn't, and who believes he can step over others.

–Have you ever met Alejos in your life?

–I worked in an office, for a multinational company, and there were a lot of people around, with their tailored suits, with their dads who gave them the keys to their first car, quite detached from reality. I come from a very different reality, but everyone has their own path, and the important thing is to live life the way they want, as long as it doesn't bother others.

–What do you feel and think about the world today?

–I think that in the information age, where we are constantly hyperconnected, we are living in a very lonely time.

–Are you aware that your books are a great companion for your readers?

–Well, they also accompany me throughout the process, so I think it's a reciprocal relationship. But I'm also a little afraid of the responsibility, especially when someone very young buys one of my books. I hope my books leave a positive feeling, that they take care of their mental health, that they understand that no one will change for love, that you always have to be yourself, that your friends are the love of your life and will always be there, but above all, loving yourself and having empathy for others.

–And what are you working on now?

–I just submitted a manuscript, and we're now in the editing phase. Unlike many of my colleagues, this is my favorite part because I've already proven to myself that I can finish a book again, so it's like, wow, thank goodness.

–And can you tell us what the book is about?

–Well, I can say that it's once again a female narrative voice, that it's set in the world of cinema, and that it doesn't take place in Madrid. It's the first novel set outside of Madrid.

–What are your expectations for the Book Fair?

–The last time I was here, I was incredibly impressed. I'm excited to see it again, eager to meet up with readers I've known since 2016, the first time I came.

–When you started writing, did you imagine that you would cross the borders of Spain and reach America?

–I didn't even think I was going to be published in Spain, so no, no way. And when I finally published in Spain, I thought it was just going to be one book and that I wouldn't release another. Everything has exceeded my expectations for a long time, and being able to take a plane and come here is actually quite scary because it's such a huge thing, and I never imagined it would happen.

Elisabet Benavent will review her entire body of work tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. in the José Hernández room at the Book Fair.