Allende, Isabel 1994
Language is essential to a writer, and language is as personal as blood. I live in California—in English—but I can only write in Spanish. In fact, all the fundamental things in my life happen in Spanish, like scolding my grandchildren, cooking, or making love.
– Isabel Allende, “How I Became A Writer”
Read this interview with Isabel Allende:
Isabel Allende – Interview
I allow the characters to live their own lives in the book. Often I have the feeling that I don’t control them. The story goes in unexpected directions and my job is to write it down, not to force it into my previous ideas.
Watch Isabel Allende give a TED Talk called “Tales of passion:”
Isabel Allende is one of the most widely-read authors in the world, having sold more than 74 million books. Born in Peru and raised in Chile, her work, both in English and in Spanish, has been translated into more than forty-two languages. She is the recipient of fifteen honorary doctorates, including one from Harvard University, the PEN Center Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
