Francisco Serrano wins the Tusquets Prize with a story of revolution, terrorism, and empowerment.

" Francisco Serrano belongs to a species that we thought was extinct: that of the inventive writer, capable of seducing with intrigue, of surprising with the creation of unforgettable characters and of subjugating with disturbing atmospheres," says the writer Antonio Orjeudo, president of the jury of the XXI Tusquets Editores Novel Prize, worth 18,000 euros , which the aforementioned Serrano (Guareña, Badajoz, 1982) has won with his novel The Revolutionary Heart of the World , a hypnotic account of the vicissitudes of an anti-capitalist cell in the 70s and how in that environment a woman tries to take control of her life.

That woman is Valeria Letelier, who at the start of the novel is in a safe house in London, being carefully instructed by Joel, the intellectual leader of an anti-capitalist cell to which she belongs. After settling into a house in France where the protagonist, who sees herself as a Russian cosmonaut wandering through interstellar infinity , will complete her training and face painful sacrifices, the seed of distrust will take root in Valeria once the cell takes action.

"I've always had a great fascination with outlaws, with the tension between their romanticism and the much harsher reality from which the myth is drawn ," Serrano explains about the origin of his novel and its protagonist. "One always feels a natural affinity or sympathy for the bank robber, the bandit, any iteration of the rebel who refuses to live under the rules of an oppressive system. There's something in the human condition that inclines us toward it , even if our lives, or precisely because of that, are much more conventional and sedate," he reflects.

The end of revolutionary idealism

However, as The Revolutionary Heart of the World, to be published by Tusquets on October 8 , demonstrates, once the romantic halo that accompanies all idealism has faded, what remains is much darker, much murkier. " This is the story of a fascination that is no longer blinding and also a refutation of revolutionary idealism ," Orejudo summarizes. Along these lines, writer Bárbara Blasco , also a member of the jury, points out that the novel is " a story from another time, from when we believed that the world could be changed , which today suddenly becomes relevant," and bookseller Eva Coscuella defines it as "a dazzling journey to the darkest part of the heart where each page is a map that explores desire, fear, violence and power in its purest state ."

In the opinion of Serrano, who was inspired for his book - selected from among 366 other manuscripts - by the contradictions of terrorism in the 1970s, by gangs like the Baader-Meinhof and by characters like Carlos the Jackal - now Carlos Reseda, a mercenary expert in weapons and forged documents who will worry Valeria - "tackling this complex and violent historical moment gives me the opportunity to explore themes such as worlds that are closed in on themselves, hermetic, clandestine, whether due to political extremism or simple criminality , and the particular mental states of self-deception and radicalization that they generate, not very different from those of certain esoteric disciplines and destructive sects," the writer adds.

In this sense, Corina Oproae , winner of the previous edition of the award , describes Serrano's writing as "believable, magnetic and surprising. It grabs you and forces you to ask yourself what is revolutionary ." What if the true liberation is that of Valeria herself, a faithful, dedicated and brilliant woman who will decide at some point to take the reins? Thus, in addition to the fascinating historical context, the novel focuses with unusual magnetism on the way of situating itself in Valeria's world, while suggesting and masterfully playing with ellipses to tell in parallel a process of recovering self-esteem, of falling in love and of liberation .

"I was also interested in exploring the relationships that people form with each other in this extreme environment, poisoned at its roots by violence, but as human as anyone else's. Because this is, after all, a story of terrorists in love ," Serrano confesses.

The success of a passion

Author of novels such as Desert Dogs (2012), Hajira (2018) and On the Disappearing Coast (2020), Serrano says that receiving an award like the Tusquets " represents an unexpected validation for me, as I consider myself a humble writer of horror and fantasy . This literary path that I have undertaken, without ever abandoning the genres that are most similar to me and that are rarely considered good literature, is not the easiest way to receive such prestigious recognition ," he jokingly says.

A member of the cultural association HUL (Hostia Un Libro), which organizes the festival of the same name on micropublishing and slaps, and co-director of the podcast Rancho Drácula on popular culture , Serrano acknowledges: "The award surprised me as much as it pleased me, both to a large extent. Finding myself in the company of so many excellent writers is a source of satisfaction and inspires me to continue writing with the same determination and purpose."