Héctor Muiños

What was your favorite book as a child?

Rather than a book, my favourite story was one called “The White Rabbit,” which my Dad used to tell me for bedtime. It was a story he’d made up, and I recall asking for it night after night. He always obliged, no matter how many times he’d told it or how hard he’d had to work that day. Years later, when I was in my teens, he gave me a battered copy of “The Godfather,” by Mario Puzo. It was the first book for grown-ups that I read, and I was so taken with it that I carried it around with pride, making sure people noticed. It remained my favourite book for many years, and I still hold it in very high esteem.

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

Like many other writers, I started writing creatively as a means to express myself artistically. I found it a good way to put in some sort of order the chaotic world of feelings and emotions. In time, this exploration of the self evolved into the exploration of others and of human nature, and that is why I write now.

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

I said “Yes” to moving to a completely new country. In 2016, I was working in Barcelona and looking for a place for myself. One day I received a job offer that implied moving to Dublin, where I had never been nor did I know anybody. I accepted it, and that decision has had so many implications that I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I hadn’t taken the opportunity. To name just one, back then I was working in finance; four years later, I am studying for a PhD in Creative Writing.

Do you listen to music while reading or writing?

No, I usually don’t. I try to avoid multitasking whenever I can. I like to devote my attention to whatever it is I am doing, whether it is reading, writing, listening to music or chatting to a friend. I feel I enjoy things more this way.