Gabriel Ramirez Acevedo

What was your favorite book as a child?

One of the books that I remember reading the most as a child in Colombia was the Spanish version of The Gnomes by Wil Huygen. It had some incredible illustrations full of animals and plants, so even before learning how to read I would love flipping through its pages. Later on, I remember finding it mesmerizing to read a book that was written as if it was a scientific account of some fictional creatures, explaining every aspect of their lives in such detail. That approach of treating fantasy as part of reality has always fascinated me, and I think it might have to do with that wonderful book. Curiously enough, until having to answer this question, I hadn’t realized the book was written by a Dutch author, and I can only wonder if it was just another one of the coincidences that led me into living in the Netherlands.

What was the original reason or motivation why you started writing creatively?

I guess I always had people around me encouraging me to write: family, teachers, friends, partners. I did it very sparsely, but I liked showing the results to other people to hear their reactions and their feedback. I found it very interesting to think of having this sort of medium to pass bits and pieces of an imaginary world from my head to someone else’s. Since I started writing with more dedication a couple of years ago, I’ve always had that motivation in my mind, and I enjoy thinking of the emotions that a story might create in others.

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

I think one of the most adventurous things I’ve done was to go on a trip through the Amazon river from Leticia, Colombia into Manaus, Brazil. As a young city guy, I found it “exotic” to do the week-long trip that many do in their daily lives to move between cities, or to bring things to trade from one place to another. It was a challenging voyage, full of mishaps, nature, and incredible people, and I still recall it as a beautiful and intense experience.

Do you listen to music while reading or writing?

When I’m reading I really enjoy listening to music. It doesn’t matter which genre I’m playing, as long as it is being sung in a language different from the one that I’m reading in. I think that music somehow allows me to have some sense of time passing in the real world, beyond getting lost in what I’m reading. As for writing, I find it difficult to write with music, as it somehow distracts me from what I’m writing. I’ve been experimenting lately with having some instrumental music in the background while I write, and having music somehow related to the topic that I’m writing about, has been easier and even helpful.