Ana Bustelo

What was your favorite book as a child?

My favorite book as a child was “Walter the Lazy Mouse” by Marjorie Flack. It’s about a mouse who is so slow, he’s always late for everything, to the point that his schedule and everybody else’s barely coincide. One day, his family moves to a new home and they leave Walter behind. Though it has a happy ending, I used to read it over and over, fearing this could happen to me, because I was — andstill am — a bit slow... just like Walter.

Do you remember the original reason or motivation why you started writing creatively?

When I was seven or eight, my father gave me a diary with a lock, and I began writing in it, feeling that I was doing something important. After that, I kept a journal all through my adolescent years. Although I don’t anymore, I have always maintained the habit of writing, with some ups and downs along the years.

What was the most adventurous or thrilling thing you ever did/experienced?

I think one of the most exciting things I have done in my life is traveling alone. I have travelled to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Argentina, and the US on my own. However, my first experience was probably the most adventurous. When I was 16, I spent a year away from home as an exchange student with a family in Aumsville, a small town in Oregon, which seemed to me like the Far, Far West.

Do you listen to music while reading or writing?

I never listen to music while reading or writing. I think these two activities are done in silence. Silence is one of the things I cherish most, perhaps because I live in the noisy city of Madrid.