Interview With Author Miguel Carvalho Abrantes
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I never know what to tell people about myself. Perhaps I can note that, in spite of having written, edited and translated over 70 books, I never considered myself a writer. A writer, for me, is Dante, Virgil, or Shakespeare. I’m not one, I’m just a human being who tries to preserve knowledge by creating some new books, reviving some old ones, and seeing what in-between people may care about.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest work is “Poems for Ukraine and Against War”, a book of 30 poems written for charity. What inspired me for it… I wanted to create something in which all proceeds could be given to charity, and ended up writing 30 poems over 30 days with this goal.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I always write in my pajamas, in the middle of the forest, and after meditating for some time.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Many books and authors have influenced me in the past, but the most notable one is certainly Edith Hamilton’s “Mythology”.
What are you working on now?
Nothing. I’ve been writing a few new poems here and there, but that’s about it.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
No idea. I usually feel that a good book promotes itself via word-of-mouth.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t seek to be called a “writer”. Instead, simply write and see where that takes you.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“The only true wisdom lives far from mankind, out in the great loneliness, and it can be reached only through suffering. Privation and suffering alone can open the mind of a man to all that is hidden to others.”
What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading a book on legends and myths from East Timor.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m never sure. I only go where wind and inspiration takes me.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible with all the Apocrypha; Dante’s Divine Comedy; Ovid’s Ars Amatoria and Remedia Amoris.
Author Websites and Profiles
Miguel Carvalho Abrantes Website
Miguel Carvalho Abrantes Amazon Profile