• Iván Gilabert.'It will not be the first time that reality surpasses fiction with a pandemic '
  • Nicole Sttot, the only astronaut who paints watercolors in space

The writer Ana Hernández Sarriá (Madrid, 1988) says that time is the only thing that does not return. This sentence that gives the title to his second novel ( Time is the only thing that does not return published by La Esfera de los Libros) seems more resounding today than ever. If you chose New York City as the setting for this publication , the Maldives are the new chosen location to set your next plot.

It is precisely there where Hernández Sarriá has been surprised by the crisis unleashed by the coronavirus . Long before the beginning of the debacle, Ana traveled to the island of Maafushi in search of inspiration for her third novel without knowing that her return, still in the air, would be a true odyssey .

Question-. Why did you decide to seek inspiration for your new novel in the Maldives?

Answer-. Since I was a child I have always been in love with the sea. For most people, the ocean is known to be unpredictable, dangerous, and filled with strange, huge, and terrifying creatures. But for me, it has always been the opposite. When I'm around him, I feel safer than anywhere else. When my feet touch the water or I hear the sound of the waves, I immediately feel at peace. And when I dive deep into its blues, I feel wonderful things deep in my soul. I chose Maldives as the setting for my third novel precisely to be able to explain this accumulation of sensations in detail. The sea is a very important protagonist of the new plot. But I never imagined that I would be trapped on this island. Away from my family and my home.

P-. How has your previous idea changed the current situation?

R-. The island is empty and the tourists are gone. I have had the opportunity to meet local people who are telling me the stories of their lives. They have taken me to schools, they have opened the doors of their houses, they have told me about the prayers of Islam and they have taught me unknown details of their mosques. There are days that I feel very lucky to be here. Although I am also very scared . And hungry. But precisely those feelings, anxiety and uncertainty, are the best weapon for any writer.

P-. At the moment, there are still no infections on the island where you are. How does it work in this place?

R-. The only thing that manages to relieve my anxiety a little, when the news of my country reaches the island, is to go diving in the ocean . I dive in and suddenly I find a turtle, or a herd of dolphins , or blankets, rays, moray eels and fish of thousands of colors. I soak in everything I live when I'm in the water. Also, since there are almost no tourists, there are more marine fauna than ever. Corals are recovering. And with them, although it may seem like a madness, the people. Muslims have opened up to the few foreigners who have been locked up on the island. We are sharing this important moment with them.

P-. How would you describe the contrast of living in such a difficult situation, even more so living it alone, in such a privileged natural environment?

R-. There are days when I feel privileged, yes. I look to the horizon and see the spectacular orange sunsets . But, even if it is a paradox, it is useless to be in paradise to cure the desire I have to return home to my family. I feel more alone than ever. And, in moments like this, you want to be at home, with yours. It doesn't matter where, if locked in a tiny space, even without windows. Real paradise is being at home, close to your friends and family.

P-. Apparently it has begun to feed on what the sea provides. What is the most important thing that the space you are in is reporting to you?

R-. Maldives is a country where all products are imported. A few days ago, when all this exploded, we became very afraid saying that, since the boat traffic had stopped, there was not going to be any drinking water or food on the island. So, every afternoon, we went to the sea to fish. My island friends have grown up in the water, so they grab octopuses and lobsters with an innate ease. Every afternoon we barbecue and collect everything we fish on the grill. The sea is the natural resource that is saving our lives.

P-. In the exceptional circumstances of this situation, how do you try to continue leading a relatively normal life?

R-. The novel is saving me from going crazy without a routine. I put the alarm clock on every day at eight in the morning and, without excuses, I will write my manuscript to my new office . There is a hotel on the island called Liyela Retreat. Now he only has two clients and, in a few days, they are going to close it, but I have asked the owner to let me write. So I spend half my days there. Sometimes two macaw parrots come up to greet me. Others, I see dolphins on the horizon. The crows fight beside me. While I write, write, write without stopping. And then, I take a bath in the sea, dive for a while, talk to my family, read the news and go to bed praying that the air traffic will reopen and finally let me go home.

P-. When do you think you will be able to return to Spain?

When I call the Spanish embassy, ​​they explain to me that, for now, they are repatriating Spaniards who are in alarm zones . The Maldives has almost no cases of coronaviruses, and although we are locked up, we are fine. At first, I was very angry when they gave me this answer, but now I understand. There will be Spaniards hospitalized in who knows what parts of the world and under what conditions. They deserve to be taken care of first. If everything goes well, I think that at the end of this month, perhaps the beginning of May, I will be able to go home. Just thinking about it makes my hair stand on end.

P-. In view of events, do you reaffirm that time is the only thing that does not return?

R-. Of course. If life, experiences and my travels have shown me anything, it is precisely that. It is the title that I gave to my second novel. And the title that probably governs everything that happens to me in my life. Only two days ago my grandmother passed away , the person in whom I have inspired my new plot. My heart broke into pieces. But, when I can calm down, I think I could spend a lot of time with her thanks to the delivery of her memories. And I remember those afternoons in his living room. Together, sharing a warm tea as we read them together. Time is the only thing that does not return. It is a great certainty.

P-. If not indiscretion ... What is the new plot you're working on?

R-. There are two protagonists: A grandmother and a granddaughter. A few months before passing away, the grandmother gives her memories to the young woman. Then she discovers exciting adventures in her life. Not only everything she lived as a child during the Civil War in Madrid , but everything she experienced after her grandfather died. Travels around the world full of adventure. He discovers that she also came several times to this island, Maafushi, in the Maldives. He decides to come and discover what it was that his grandmother had fallen in love with on this island. And so she is trapped in paradise by the coronavirus. And, without knowing it, he lives an adventure very similar to the one his grandmother lived several generations ago.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • tourism
  • Stay at home
  • Asia

Tribute Coronavirus: the flag of Spain illuminates the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai

Social NetworksThe Bahamas iguanas: the last cry of Instagram

Quarantine Where are Timbuktu or Vanuatu? An online trivial to test your traveling knowledge