Writers Abroad Magazine Issue 5 | Page 18

WRITERS ABROAD MAGAZINE: THE THIRD SPACE … to There NICOLA CLEASBY What brought you to Spain, when and from where? This is going to sound really shallow but – sunshine. In my own defence, I come from the Lake District where it’s usually cold and wet, and I love the sun. Plus, we (my husband and I) spent the four years before we came here in Scotland, a beautiful place but even colder and wetter than the Lake District. Before Scotland, we’d spent a few years working as volunteers in Africa and had come to love living in a warmer climate. At the same time, at that point my parents were still alive, and I wanted to be able to visit frequently. So when we were looking for somewhere to live, we went as far south as we could while still being able to get back to the UK easily. We bought a small almond farm in Spain, in the southern Alpujarras, a stunningly beautiful area between the Sierra Nevada mountains and the Mediterranean (with an average of 320 days of sun a year!) That was nearly fifteen years ago now, and we still love it. What are the advantages of living in Spain for a writer? Living costs are much lower here than anywhere in the UK. That meant, when I was starting out, I could devote my time to writing without fear of starvation. Plus, I live in the middle of nowhere, on a mountain, there’s not a lot to distract me except for the view. But the main advantage is that it’s a totally inspiring place. One of my favourite things is to sit under a fig tree, with a glass of wine, and wait for inspiration… Has your writing output increased since you came to Spain? I only really started writing after I came to Spain (except for a little I did when we worked as volunteers in Africa, where I was driven to writing my own books when I ran out of things to read.) So yes, my output has definitely increased. I’m actually a little obsessed now and writing has taken over my life. In the last five years, I’ve probably written between twenty and thirty novels and novellas. Is there anything you find hard to cope with in Spain? Probably cruelty to animals. I know this happens everywhere, but I can’t drive past a bull ring without feeling a little sick. And totally powerless, as though I should be doing more to make the world a better place. 17 | November 2016