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